Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
by Aurelia Lothlorien
Summary: On her way home from school, Kagome stumbles upon an injured purely white dog. When she takes the dog home to help it heal, it has unexpected transformation into our favorite hanyou Inuyasha. What's a girl to do? IYkagome
1. An Interesting Transformation

**Disclaimer:** Unfortunately I am not Rumiko Takahashi-sama. I bet you guys were all fooled though, weren't ya? _::dodges flying sporks::_

**Author note:** Alrighty, this here is my first of three big Inuyasha fics I plan on doing. The idea got stuck in my head, and well...you can read the rest. the rating will be pg-13 for now, but with my crazy mind you'll never know what's gonna happen. Enjoy, and thanks for reading!

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Chapter One: An Interesting Transformation

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Kagome stretched her arms out above her head, reveling in the satisfying release of tension in her muscles. She was on her way home from the last day of school. She had just successfully completed her junior year, and she was looking forward to some fun during her summer vacation. She whistled a familiar tune as she walked, the sun just beginning it's descent onto the horizon. Apparently she had spent more time with her friends after school than she thought, due to the lateness of the day.

Kagome shrugged to herself, it didn't really matter anyway. Her grandfather had left the previous day to visit a long lost aunt, or something or other. Her grandpa was crazy like that, always on the lookout for something new to do. Souta and her mother had left just that morning for Cub scout camp, and Mrs. Higurashi was the proud cub-leader.

Kagome smiled happily. Since the rest of her family would be gone for awhile, she was left alone with the house to herself for at least two weeks, maybe more if she was lucky. _Maybe I could throw a party?_ Kagome grinned, a party was definitely possible. She'd have to call Sango later and-

A low combination of whining and growling startled Kagome out of her train of thought. She looked around, wondering where in the world that sound was coming from. Spotting a nearby alley, she crept toward it. As she inched her head around the corner, peering into the darkness of the alley, a small gasp escaped from her throat.

There lay the biggest dog she had ever seen.

A pure white and slightly shaggy dog lay on it's side in the alley. A large ruff of fur around it's throat was slightly stained crimson from blood, and Kagome's eyes widened. Who had hurt this beautiful dog?

She crept closer to the dog, hoping to help heal whatever wound it had. As the rest of her body came in full view of the white dog, it's head snapped up and locked it's gaze with her own with startling clarity. A low and dangerous growl was coming from the dog, and Kagome stopped dead in her tracks. The dog's muscles tensed as though to attack, but it suddenly yelped in pain, slightly curling in a ball.

Kagome's expression softened, and she dropped her backpack on the ground. Kneeling next to it, she searched around for a bit. Smiling in triumph, she pulled out half a sandwich left from her lunch. Dogs loved any and all food, didn't they?

Kagome walked towards the white Inu, trying to look as non-threatening as possible. She held the sandwich out to the dog, and added a soothing note to her voice. "Here, eat this."

The dog bristled at the girl's close proximity, but stared at the sandwich with obvious longing. Kagome sighed in irritation, and tossed the sandwich to the dog. It hungrily snapped the food up without a second glance.

"Alright puppy, now let me see your wound."

She took another step towards the dog, but it growled fiercely and let out a sharp bark. Her shoulders slumped in defeat, and Kagome walked backwards away from the white Inu. Sighing, she picked up her bag. Wondering why she was wasting so much time on a dog, she looked back. "Fine. If you won't let me help you, then I'll leave. No sense in getting my hand bitten off." She started towards her home at the shrine, which was luckily just up ahead in plain view. She had taken no more than ten steps however, when a sharp yelp alerted her that she was being followed.

Looking back, Kagome saw the white Inu standing on wobbly legs. Splatters of blood marked his trail from the alley, and a wave of sympathy washed over Kagome. Smiling slightly, she pointed at her home up ahead. "That's my house. If you can make it there, I'll take care of you." Kagome shook her head. _I've totally lost it- I'm talking to a dog. _

The dog gave a slight growl, but then just gave up. It wobbled, then padded up to where she was waiting. Kagome bit her lip in worry. _I'd carry the poor dog, but it's waaaaaaayyyy too big. It's even bigger than a Great Dane! Geez, just what kind of dog is this? _Reaching over, she gave the dog a reassuring pat on the head. She walked firmly towards the shrine, slowing her pace for the injured dog. The dog was still very unsteady on it's feet, and it would occasionally bump into Kagome's hip, causing the girl to stumble slightly.

Kagome sighed in relief as she opened the door to her home. Dropping her pack onto the floor, she made her way to the kitchen. The dog padded obediently behind her, cautious of the surroundings. Kagome grabbed a spare blanket, and spread it out on the kitchen floor making sure that the dog lay on it. She smiled as the dog put up no resistance to her orders. _That's better._ "I'm going to go get some bandages. You can rest for now, but I'll need you to get up when I return." Turning her back on the dog and walking towards the bathroom, she shook her head. _Man, I'm must be really lonely to be talking to dog. Oh well, it's not like it can talk back or anything. It'd probably call me crazy if it could. _She smiled at the last thought, pulling bandages and disinfectant spray from the first aid kit. She glanced down at her school uniform, wondering if she should change. She shrugged, she wouldn't need the uniform for awhile and she could just wash it anyways. Gathering her supplies in her arms, she walked back into the kitchen.

And promptly dropped everything onto the floor.

In place of the huge white Inu Kagome had rescued, was a very, very attractive boy with long white hair and two fluffy ears atop his head. Kagome stared at the boy in shock, meeting his stare to find he had vibrant golden eyes. _What the HELL?_

The boy stared at the hastily dropped supplies, then back at Kagome. And his oh-so-clever response was-

"Keh. You really are a clumsy bitch, aren't you?"

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Heh heh heh. I wonder who THAT could be? And yeah, he's naked. Kagome just hasn't realized it yet. This is gonna be fun. I know this chapter is really short, so just consider it a teaser. So, like the story so far? Leave me a review if you can, it'll make a very happy author. Thanks! Ja ne, minna-san!


	2. Ramen and new arrivals

**Disclaimer:** It's in the first chapter- if you wanna see it that bad, well, there ya go.

**Author note: **You guys rock, seriously. ::_does a happy dance_:: alrighty- thanks everyone for all the wonderful reviews::_bows before you all_:: also, to answer a few questions: yes, it's an AU. Big time. I'm setting the story in Japan, and just adding in the American school system. I like it that way. There will also be serious fluff in the story too, but not without it's counterparts: action adventure with a splash of humor!

Now on with the story!

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Chapter Two: Ramen and New Arrivals

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Kagome stood riveted in shock, unable to do anything but stare in wonder at the boy. Where the hell did the dog go? WHAT is going on here? Her eyes were drawn to the two furry ears atop his head, and she was hit with the instinctive impulse to pet them. Pushing that aside, she blinked as she took in the naked form of the boy who was sitting on her kitchen floor.

Kagome's face turned beet red as she ran from the room tossing a quick "Stay there, I'll be right back!" over her shoulder.

The boy blinked, noticing her blush. Looking down at his body, he promptly got the shock of his life. He was naked.

"Where the _FUCK_ are my clothes!?!"

Upstairs, Kagome froze. That was not a happy yell. She chewed on her lip nervously. What could she give him to wea_r?_ Souta's clothes were much too small. Snapping her fingers in realization, she ran to her mother's room. Letting out a triumphant "aha!" she pulled out a pair of her father's jeans and a black t-shirt. It wasn't much, but it would have to work. She tapped her chin thoughtfully. There was something she was forgetting... oh no.

_Gulp._

Underwear. Peering into her mother's closet, she sighed in relief when she spotted a pair of heart emblazoned boxers. She grinned. _Perfect._

"So do you normally strip your guests of clothing, or is this a new thing?"

Kagome jerked, and whacked her head on the closet door. Muttering a curse, she turned to glare at the boy. He was leaning against the door frame, with his arms crossed and looking none too pleased. He had wrapped the spare blanket from the kitchen around his waist, giving him a semblance of modesty. Kagome scowled and chucked the clothes at the boy. "Change into these."

He caught them easily, and raised an eyebrow as she stormed past him into the hallway. Shrugging, he closed the door and started to change.

Outside the room, Kagome leaned against the wall. Ok, so there was a guy in her house. A really hot guy who had white hair and dog ears. And had been naked in her kitchen. She shook her head. What exactly was she supposed to do in a situation like this?

A curse came from inside her mother's room and Kagome smirked. Looks like he had found the boxers. She jerked as the door flew open, revealing a fully clothed boy. He snarled at Kagome, "That was not funny."

"So I'm guessing your not the heart type?" Kagome hid a laugh behind her hand.

The boy shot her a cold glare, "No. What the hell did you do with my other clothes, bitch?"

Kagome started in indignation, narrowing her eyes at the boy. "Excuse me? Just who are you anyways?"

"None of your business."

Kagome poked the boy in the chest. "Actually you're in MY house, so it _is_ my business."

The boy winced at the contact, trying to hide his pain behind a growl. "Whatever."

"You're still hurt aren't you?" A worried note entered Kagome's voice.

The boy merely crossed his arms and turned away from her. "Keh."

"I knew it," she grabbed his arm and pulled him after her. "Come on."

Entering the kitchen, she released the boy and bent to pick up the medical supplies. Dumping them on the kitchen table, she turned to face him. "First of all, who are you?"

"Why should I tell you, bitch?"

"Stop calling me that!"

"Bitch."

Kagome's hands fisted at her sides, straining to keep from slapping the confident smirk off the boys face. Just what was his problem anyways? "I'm trying to help you, you jerk! Just tell me your name."

The boy considered that for a moment and nodded. "Only if you give me my clothes back."

"I don't have your clothes!"

"Well they had to go somewhere! People just don't walk around naked y'know!"

"You didn't have any clothes," Kagome sighed and placed a hand on her temple. _Here comes the inevitable headache._

The boy snorted. "Right."

"I'm serious! You were a dog, ok?!"

"No shit."

Kagome's eyes widened. "What?" She blinked and shook her head, trying to sort everything our in her head. "Who _are_ you?"

The boy's shoulders slumped in defeat. Sighing, he plopped down in a chair next to the table. Running a hand through his hair, a worried look overcame his features. "Good question."

Kagome copied his actions and sat next to him. "You don't know who you are?"

The boy shook his head. "I know bits and pieces." He sighed and locked his gaze with hers, looking serious for the first time. "My name is Inuyasha."

Kagome grinned. "See, we're getting somewhere. I'm Kagome Higurashi. Now what was that about you being a dog?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and pointed at his ears, showed the girl his claws and smirked, revealing fangs. "I'm a dog demon, thus my name. Actually, hanyou is more like it. "

Kagome cupped her chin in her hand, leaning against the table. "Well that makes sense...I guess. But you really were a dog- literally. No human attributes at all."

Now it was Inuyasha's turn to be surprised, "What?"

Kagome pointed at the bit of blood that was on her kitchen floor. "That's from you. I found you in an alley, and you followed me home. I intended to heal whatever wound you had, and it looked pretty bad back then. That reminds me," she stood up, "Take off your shirt."

Inuyasha snarled, "What!?"

"I need to see the wound to treat it you moron. Just take off your shirt!"

"No fucking way! I barely even know you!" He stood up next to her, trying to use his height to get the crazy girl to back down. "And I still want my other clothes back!"

"You didn't have any! You were a DOG!"

"I AM a dog you idiot!"

"That's not what I mean! " She sighed and slapped a palm against her forehead. "I meant the whole 'not being human at all' dog part. We've established that you're a dog demon." She threw her hands up in exasperation as the boy's glare never wavered. "Fine! Don't believe me! Just sit down."

_Wham! _

Kagome glanced down at the floor to see that the white dog had returned. He lay on the floor, and was growling at her. Inuyasha's clothes lay in a pile next to the dog. Kagome blinked, wondering what was going on. "Inuyasha?"

The dog gave a sharp bark, and Kagome passed out.

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"Uhng..."

Kagome groaned, her brows furrowing at the splitting pain in her head. _What had happened?_ Her eyes opened slowly, blinking as she took in her surroundings. She was on the couch in the living room... wait, how did she get here?

"You shouldn't move, it'll only make your headache worse."

Inuyasha appeared at her side, fully clothes and in non-doggie form. He held out a glass of water and a few aspirin. "Take this, it'll help."

Kagome blinked, and followed his orders. Setting the glass on a nearby table, she looked back up at the boy. "What happened?"

Inuyasha sighed, and sat next to her on the couch. "Let's just say you were right. I believe you now." He narrowed his eyes in concern when she winced. "How are you feeling?"

Kagome blanched. "Not too good, but it will pass. How long was I passed out for?"

"A couple hours. It turns out that after two hours I turn back to my normal form." Inuyasha growled. "What the fuck happened to me?"

Kagome winced again, and sat up next to the confused boy. "Have you remembered anything else?"

Inuyasha ran a clawed hand through his hair, and sighed. "Here's what I know- I'm 17, a dog demon hanyou, and I now have some sort of all dog form." He laughed bitterly and put his head in his hands. "I don't even know where the hell I am."

Kagome's expression softened, and she placed a comforting arm around the hanyou's shoulders. "Well, I can help you out there. You're in Tokyo, at the Sunset Shrine- which is run by the Higurashi family."

Inuyasha looked up, his golden eyes locking with Kagome's gray-blue ones. "Tokyo?"

"Yeah...is that bad?"

He sighed. "No...it's just that...I'm from no where near here. I'm from Nagasaki." He shook his head. "Anyways, where's the rest of your family?"

Kagome grinned, and settled back against the couch, taking her arm away from Inuyasha's shoulders. "Well, my crazy old grandfather went to Kyoto to look for a long lost aunt of mine. My mother and Souta- my little brother- went to Cub scout camp, and they won't be back for awhile. So I have the house to myself for two whole weeks." She winked at Inuyasha. "And that means I have to throw a party sometime too."

Inuyasha grinned and muttered something about 'crazy girls'. "Where's your dad? "

Kagome paused, and looked away. "He… died when I was seven."

Inuyasha tensed, his hair shielding his eyes. "I'm sorry."

Kagome sighed, and put her arms behind her head. "It's ok, you didn't know. I'm ok with it now though, for the most part anyway."

A tense silence filled the room and Inuyasha toyed with the hem of his shirt. "My mom died when I was five." He scowled. "Apparently I can remember the bad things from my life."

Kagome bumped her shoulder with his. "But at least you starting to remember, right? I know how it feels to lose a parent." She stood up and stretched. "Hey! My headache is gone! YES!" She punched the air joyfully, turning around to see Inuyasha smirk at her. "Hungry, doggie boy?"

He stood up and pushed her back onto the couch. "Bitch." Smirking, he walked towards the kitchen.

Rolling her eyes, Kagome regained her footing and followed him into the kitchen. "Hey Inuyasha, how come you turned back into a dog a couple hours ago?"

Inuyasha snorted as he scoured the contents of the Higurashi's refrigerator. "You haven't figured it out yet? You really are a moron."

Kagome huffed and tugged on his ear, pushing him out of the way so she could examine the fridge. He scowled at her back, but sat down at the table. Shutting the fridge, she walked over to the cupboard instead. "Well excuse me for being a moron," she grabbed two packages of ramen, tossing them on the counter. "Why did you turn back into a full dog?"

Inuyasha growled and tore his gaze away from her own, mumbling something.

Kagome planted her hands on her hips. "What?"

Inuyasha growled. "Because you told me to 'sit'."

Kagome's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she began making the instant ramen. "So because I said-"

Inuyasha leaped out of his chair and clamped his hand over her mouth. "Don't say it!!!"

Startled at his speed, Kagome glared at the hanyou. He rolled his eyes, and went back to look through the fridge. "Keh. I'd rather not be a mutt for two hours. I just turned back for crying out loud!" He pulled a Pepsi out of the fridge and stared at it. "What, no Coke-a-Cola?"

Kagome shook her head. "No way. I'm a Pepsi fan all the way." She brought the two instant ramen over to the table, handing one to Inuyasha. Grabbing a Pepsi for herself, she joined him at the table.

Inuyasha scowled. You would be a Pepsi fan." Picking up his chopsticks, he tore into the food.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Whatever, dog-boy. You don't like it, go buy your own."

Inuyasha snorted, but continued to eat.

Suddenly, the back door was thrown wide, and a dark haired boy bounded into the room. He had a short ponytail, and his ear was pierced with two hoops. Pointing accusingly at Kagome, he took up a fight stance. "How dare you kidnap my friend!!"

Kagome blinked, the Pepsi can still halfway to her lips. "What?"

Inuyasha however, had dropped his ramen on the floor. His eyes were wide with surprise and recognition, and he took a step forward. "Miroku?!"

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Dun dun dun! And another character enters the scene. Yet again, Thank you SO much everyone for your awesome reviews. They inspired me to work on chapter 3 already, so check back if you can. Ja ne minna-san, you guys ROCK!!

-oh, and a quick question- Can you guys give me some suggestions of movies that you'd like Inuyasha and Kagome to watch together? It's a scene I'm planning for an upcoming chapter, but I don't know what movies to use. All suggestion welcome!

_::hands out Inuyasha plushies to everyone because they're so cool.::_


	3. Video game rivals and Movie picks

**Author's note:** Wow you guys! First of all, thanks again for all the great reviews and support. You have no idea how awesome it makes me feel. Second, thanks for all the great ideas for movies. - I'm gonna have to go rent them all and watch them myself. You really helped out a lot. I'm having a _ton_ of fun writing this fic, and I hope you guys are having fun reading it too. So let the adventures continue!

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Chapter Three: Video Game Rivals and Movie Picks

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Miroku cracked his knuckles, glaring at the innocent looking girl in front of him. What was she trying to pull? He knew that she had kidnapped Inuyasha. He stole a glance at his hanyou friend. Why was he just standing there? Hadn't he realized that this was the bitch who had hurt him?

Inuyasha took a hesitant step forward, still in shock that Miroku had just appeared. How had he found out where he was so quickly? And why was he yelling at Kagome? "Oi, Miroku! What the hell is going on?"

Miroku snorted and pointed accusingly at Kagome. "I'm here to save you from this bitch! I've been looking for you for the past _two months_!"

Kagome stood up in shock, letting her forgotten Pepsi can clatter to the floor. She angrily swept her bangs out of her eyes, and glared at Miroku. Taking a few steps forward, she poked the unsuspecting Miroku in the chest. " For your information I did _not_ kidnap Inuyasha, I saved him! Just who are you anyway, and why did you just break my door?"

Miroku sputtered for a moment, then resumed glaring at Kagome. "Don't play dumb! I know who you are and what you did to Inuyasha! Don't even try to act innocent, Kikyo!"

Kagome's eyes widened, but her attention was abruptly refocused as Inuyasha cried out. His hands clutched the sides of his head, and he growled fiercely. He lashed back and forth, and his arm snapped out onto the top of the table, breaking it clear in half. His eyes were squeezed shut as if to guard against mental pain. With a sharp yelp, he fell onto one knee, his hands fisting in his hair.

Miroku and Kagome stood in shock, watching Inuyasha's display of anguish. _What's happening?_ Inuyasha fell forward, leaning onto his arms for support. His breath came in heavy pants, and beads of sweat trickled down his forehead. Growling, his said a single name. "_Kikyo_."

Miroku grabbed Kagome's shoulder, whirring her to face him. "Kikyo, what did you do to him?!"

Kagome threw Miroku's hand off her. "I'm not Kikyo, I'm Kagome! And I have no idea what's wrong with him!" Running to Inuyasha's side, she knelt down next to him. Placing a concerned hand on his shoulder, she tentatively questioned him. "Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha's breath hitched and his muscles tensed. Letting out a sigh of relief, he pushed himself back and sat on the floor. He gave Kagome a weak smile. "I'm ok."

"Uh..." Not knowing what else to do, Miroku joined his two companions on the floor. Giving Kagome a dubious glance, he knelt down in front of Inuyasha. "Hey, what just happened?"

Inuyasha ran a hand through his hair, sighing heavily. "I'm not quite sure, but I think I just got some of my memories back."

Kagome grinned. "That's great! You're starting to remember who you are!"

Inuyasha smirked. "Yeah, sort of. But all those images flooding into my mind gave me one hell of a headache."

Kagome heeded the unspoken request, and stood up in search of the bottle of aspirin. Grabbing her glass and the aspirin bottle from the living room, she filled the glass with water and handed both that and a few aspirin to Inuyasha. The hanyou popped the pills in his mouth and took a big gulp of water, setting the glass on the floor next to him. He gave a lopsided grin to his two friends. "I can feel one of those big serious-in-depth conversations coming up, can't you?"

There was a pause, and all three people burst into laughter. "I guess I should introduce you two," Inuyasha pointed at the boy sitting next to him. "Kagome, meet Miroku- my sometimes perverted best friend. He also has a bit of holy power up his sleeve."

Miroku grinned and shook hands with Kagome. "Miroku, meet Kagome- my savior and acquaintance who I know almost nothing about. She's also seen me naked."

Inuyasha winked at his friend, and Kagome smacked Inuyasha on the back of his head. The glare on her face was rapidly being replaced with a blush. "Baka," she scolded.

Inuyasha and Miroku laughed, and Kagome crossed her arms with a huff. With startling speed, Miroku grasped Kagome's hand in his own. "Kagome-chan, I know we've gotten off to a bad start. If you can find it within the depths of your sincerely kind heart to forgive my rude entrance, I'd be forever grateful."

Kagome stuttered and unsuccessfully tried to pry her hand from Miroku's. "Uh, sure. No problem. Consider it forgiven."

Miroku flashed a grin. "Wonderful! Kagome-chan?"

A pause. "Yes?"

"Will you bear my child?"

_SMACK. _

Inuyasha backhanded his friend, sending him sliding across the tile flooring. His eyebrow twitched and he gave Kagome a dry grin. "Don't mind him. He's... _odd_."

Kagome blinked and swept an unruly piece of hair behind her ear. "I gathered." She smiled as Miroku dazedly made him way back to where the other two were sitting. "How long have you two been friends?"

Miroku looped an arm around the hanyou's shoulders, earning a glare from the dog demon. "Why, ever since we were born! Inuyasha and I grew up together!"

Inuyasha gave a long suffering sigh. "Sadly yes. I've been friends with this moron ever since I can remember." He flashed Miroku a grin. "You'd think he would have turned out better."

Miroku punched Inuyasha in the arm. "Hey, you're the one who taught me how to fight. Don't even get me started on the swearing."

Inuyasha snorted. "Keh."

Kagome grinned at the two friends, a thought suddenly popping into her head. "Hey Miroku- when you first came here, you called me Kikyo. Who's that?"

A low growl escaped from Inuyasha's throat, and a flash of anger passed over Miroku's face. "Well," Miroku edged, "She looks almost the same as you do… except her hair's longer and she has brown eyes. And her personality is _way_ different from yours. I'm sorry I ever mistook you for her."

Confusion registered on Kagome's face. "So I guess you two knew her pretty well then, huh?"

Inuyasha growled. "Sort of. She went to the same private school as we did in Nagasaki. But she was a first class bitch. I don't really know what her problem was, but she hated me with a passion."

Miroku gave a sly grin. "Well, technically that's not true. She actually used to really like dog-boy over here, but I guess his repeated refuses kinda pissed her off."

Knowledge suddenly flashed in Inuyasha's eyes, and he slammed a fist into the floor. "THAT'S IT!"

Miroku and Kagome exchanged confused glances. "Huh?"

Inuyasha locked his gaze with Miroku, a fire dancing in his golden eyes. "Miroku, you said Kikyo was responsible for my disappearance right?"

Miroku nodded. "Yeah, I was there and I saw exactly what she did to you."

Inuyasha growled, tightening his fist, leaving a small dent in the Higurashi's floor. "Tell me, in EXACT words, what happened."

Miroku rubbed his temples, and briefly closed his eyes. "Well, it was the day you had gotten in a really big fight with Kikyo. She had been spreading some really nasty rumors around school about you, and you just went off on her in the cafeteria at lunch. I wouldn't be surprised if the entire school heard. I thought that she would just cry and run away, but she slapped you instead. She said something about promising to get revenge, and she threw your lunch on the floor. Then she just left. The whole school just kind of sat in shock, but then they all started applauding _you_, Inuyasha. I don't think anybody really believed the rumors anyway." Miroku shrugged and stole a sip of a forgotten Pepsi can, continuing the story.

"Well, after school we went to your house to use the training room. You were so pissed off at Kikyo that you let your concealing spell slip." Miroku paused at Kagome's confused look. "There are actually a lot of youkai in Japan, and generally world wide. Most have concealing spells like Inuyasha, or their youkai features are small enough not to need hiding. Inuyasha's ears, claws, eyes, and his hair kind of stick out though. With his concealing spell, he has dark hair and violet eyes, just like your everyday human." Miroku smiled. "Of course, other than his family and myself, no one else knew he was a hanyou. But when we were training and he let the spell slip, Kikyo saw. " Miroku sighed, massaging his temple. "Of course, having youkai in this world means that they are people with miko powers in this world too. Unfortunately, Kikyo is one of those people."

Inuyasha interrupted Miroku's story. "Oi, wait a minute. If we were in the training room, how did Kikyo see us?"

Miroku gave a wry smile. "After the training room, we had gone into your backyard to hang out. You still didn't have the spell on, and Kikyo was standing outside, planning to egg your house. It was a rather pathetic revenge, actually. When she saw you, she _freaked_ out, screaming that you were a demon and she was going to tell everyone. I tackled her and covered her mouth and told her to shut the hell up, but she didn't listen. That's when her miko power kicked in. I guess it would be a little weird to find out the guy you liked was born as your natural enemy. Whatever. She threw me off her, and said she was going to show the world your true form. She enveloped you in some kind of weird magic, and turned you into a pure white dog. I didn't even recognize the spell. You took off down the street, and before I could do anything, Kikyo knocked me out. When I came to, she was still there. She said that I wouldn't be seeing you for awhile." Miroku's hands fisted at his sides, anger evident in his face. "Then the bitch had the nerve to tell me that she was the only one who could lift the spell since she was the only miko in this generation."

Miroku sighed, grasping Inuyasha's shoulder in a brotherly gesture. "I've been searching for you for the past two months Inuyasha. No one knew where the hell you were. And I think you've been in the dog form the whole time- which could account for the loss of memories."

Inuyasha nodded, connecting Miroku's story with memory images in his head. Some parts were still very hazy, but the pieces were starting to come together. "Thanks Miroku. But one thing doesn't make sense. If Kikyo was the only miko, then how the hell did I get back to my normal form?"

Both male sets of eyes came to rest on Kagome, and she jerked at the sudden attention. "What?"

"I think," Miroku pondered, "That we have Kagome to thank for this." Miroku eyes passed over the girl, almost seeing through her. He closed his eyes, focusing on the energy surrounding the young girl. His eyes snapped open with sudden revelation. "Kagome, I think you might be a miko!"

Kagome shook her head in disbelief. "No way! Wouldn't I know if I had some magic powers or something?"

Inuyasha arched an eyebrow. "Well, I did turn back into my normal form at your house. I think you do have some type of power, Kagome."

Miroku nodded in agreement. "Most definitely, but your powers are different than Kikyo's. Your heart is pure, Kagome."

Kagome blushed under the praise. She waved a hand, dismissing the topic. "Well, whatever. We'll think more about that later." She stood up and surveyed her kitchen. A busted door, a kitchen table broken in half, and a dent in the floor. "For now, I think we have to go shopping."

Inuyasha glanced sheepishly at the broken table. "Uh, did I do that?"

Kagome laughed, and pulled on his ear affectionately. "Yeah, but it's cool. You were busy freaking out and getting your memories back." She shook her head jokingly. "I can't believe you busted the table in half with one hit though! I mean, geez Inuyasha- you're really strong!"

A slight blush stained the hanyou's cheeks. "Keh."

Miroku stood up. "I will pay for the damage done to the door Kagome. I truly am sorry." He grinned. "I guess I was just worried over Inuyasha. And I have another friend who lives near here, so I can lodge with him for the time being." He elbowed Inuyasha in the ribs. "Dog boy will have to stay with you though, my friend only has enough room for one guest."

Inuyasha snorted and stalked past his friends towards the front door. "Don't even voice what I know you're thinking, Miroku. Kagome does _not_ need to hear your perverted thoughts." He glanced over his shoulder. "So, are we going shopping or what?"

Kagome smiled. "Sure! Just let me grab my keys."

Miroku followed Inuyasha out the door, Kagome close behind. "And before either of you ask, _I'm_ driving." Kagome grinned triumphantly.

Miroku and Inuyasha sighed in defeat. Inuyasha climbed into the front seat next to Kagome, and Miroku occupied the back. The hanyou grinned. "You can drive, but I get control of the radio."

Kagome smiled. "Fine with me."

Inuyasha smirked happily, and searched through a couple of stations. System of a Down blared over the speakers, and Inuyasha laughed. "There we go, REAL music."

Miroku nodded and started playing air guitar in the back seat. Kagome grinned, bopping her head along to the beat. "I dunno you guys. System of a Down is good, but Muse is pretty good too."

Inuyasha snorted. "Keh, System of a Down beats them all."

Miroku paused his air acoustics. "No way man, Tenacious D all the way!"

Kagome laughed as Miroku went back to playing air guitar, completely oblivious to Inuyasha's snort. So the battle of bands continues. She pulled into the parking lot of Walmart, parking close to the entrance. Ah, Walmart. The greatest store for anything you could possibly want… and all the crap you didn't want too.

Suddenly Inuyasha swore. "Fuck! You guys, I don't know the concealing spell anymore! What the hell am I supposed to do about my ears?"

Miroku scratched his head thoughtfully. "Chill in the car while Kagome and I go shopping?"

"There is no fucking way I'm leaving her alone with you, you lecher." Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at his friend.

Kagome grinned and held up a black baseball hat. "Hey, no problem. Just wear this."

Inuyasha breathed a sigh of relief, and put the cap on backwards. He scowled. "My ears feel so weird like this."

Miroku punched his friend in the shoulder. "Ah, suck it up punk. It can't be that bad."

Inuyasha snorted, and followed his two companions in exiting the car. Making their way into Walmart, Kagome mentally went over what she would need to get. "Ok. let's head towards the furniture section you guys. Guys?" Kagome head swiveled around, looking for her two male companions that had suddenly disappeared. _Where did they go?_ Minutes later, Kagome shook her head in amusement when she spotted them in the video game section.

Miroku and Inuyasha were both playing furiously on the sample game set up for customers to try out. Miroku swore and Inuyasha smirked as he pulled into the lead. What game were they playing? Kagome glanced at the screen. Mario Kart 64? She snorted. _Are you kidding?_ She RULED at this game. Claiming the third controller, she hit the pause button. Miroku and Inuyasha both released shouts of indignation, but she waved a finger at them. "No way are you guys playing this game without me. I will dominate you in this game."

Miroku and Inuyasha both exchanged looks of amusement. Inuyasha snorted. "I don't think so. Miroku and I make an unbeatable team." The two males gave each other a high five.

Kagome smirked. "Well you'll just have to play me then, won't you?"

Miroku and Inuyasha wore identical grins. "You're on!"

Since there were three players instead of two, they had to use the battle option instead of the race. The battle stage was set: Kagome was Princess Peach, Miroku was Luigi, and Inuyasha was Wario.

The three players took off, each in search of a mystery box. Kagome was the first to get one, and her prize was a red shell. Letting loose a laugh of victory, she nailed Miroku (Luigi) with the shell. One of his balloons disappeared.

Miroku pouted. "Geez Kagome! Way to have mercy on your friends." His attention quickly turned back to the game as he received a box of his own. However, he only got a banana. He gave a long suffering sigh and ditched the banana.

Inuyasha (Wario) had just received a star, and he was tailing Kagome (Princess Peach). Laughing demonically, he activated the star and ran over Kagome, making her lose one of her balloons. "Outta the way, suckers!" Inuyasha quickly caught sight of Miroku and ran him over too, leaving the poor holy boy with only one balloon left, while Kagome had two, and Inuyasha had the full three.

Miroku snorted. "That's it, no _way_ am I losing to you guys." Kagome and Inuyasha both chuckled. Miroku got another box. And what was his prize this time? _Another banana._ He swore, and Kagome giggled. "God!" He pointed accusingly at the screen. "This stupid game is against me!"

Kagome quickly took advantage of his distraction, and hit Miroku with a green shell, popping the last of Miroku's balloon, and declaring him the third place player. Miroku glared at Kagome. "That was low, the stupid game is prejudiced against peaceful monks!"

Kagome merely grinned and continued playing. Now to take care of Inuyasha. _GAH!_ Inuyasha was cracking up again, so he apparently had gotten another star. She hightailed her little kart outta there, dodging and taking every single turn that she could in hopes of evading Inuyasha's attack. Luckily the star wore off, and Inuyasha huffed in annoyance. "Totally almost got you…"

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. "That was close!" Catching another box, she cheered silently as she received another red shell. Sneaking up behind the unsuspecting hanyou (Wario) she released the shell with deadly accuracy, bringing Inuyasha even with her; both now had two balloons.

"Where the fuck did that come from?!" Inuyasha growled, vowing recompense. Miroku ducked and yelled at Inuyasha to watch his language- there were little kids around after all.

Kagome however, cheered and picked up another box. This time she received triple green shells. Well, that would work. Suddenly, Inuyasha got a ghost and stole Kagome's three green shells. Kagome shrieked as Inuyasha grinned. "Hey you jerk! Those were my shells! I can't believe you just did that!"

"Heh, nice one dog boy." Miroku had accepted his losing fate and decided to cheer his friend on against Kagome.

Inuyasha smirked. _Time to take the little girl down._ "Get ready Kagome, 'cause here I come!" Inuyasha bowled around a corner, complete with three green shell protection. Kagome (Peach) burnt rubber hauling ass out of the way. Unfortunately she wasn't fast enough, and she was now down to one balloon.

Kagome stomped her foot as Inuyasha whooped in victory. "I'm not finished yet!" she warned. High tailing it back to a box, she let loose an evil chuckle as she got her favorite attack- triple RED shells. Inuyasha was dead now.

Inuyasha gulped. "Oh shit."

Miroku watched in fascination as Kagome rounded a corner and nailed Inuyasha-Wario- TWICE, defeating both his remaining balloons, and declaring Kagome-Princess Peach- the winner.

Kagome jumped up and let loose a joyful "_Woohooo!_" as she did a little victory dance around Inuyasha. The hanyou glared at the happy girl. "You cheated!"

"I did not!"

"There's no way Princess Peach could ever defeat Wario!"

Kagome grinned. "Yeah, well maybe you just suck at the game!"

Inuyasha huffed. "Like hell I do! I kick ass at that game!"

Miroku buried his head in his hands. "I cannot believe I'm hearing this."

Suddenly, a Walmart employee approached the trio. "Excuse me?"

Inuyasha and Kagome both turned around in sync to glare at the employee. "What?"

The employee glared back. "If this young man does not control his harsh language and if the rest of you do not calm yourselves, I will be forced to remove you from the store."

Inuyasha snorted. "Keh, like _YOU_ could-"

_WHACK. _

Kagome bopped Inuyasha on the back of the head. Turning to the employee, she smiled sweetly. "Thank you. We'll be sure to control ourselves from now on. Sorry for the trouble!" Grabbing Inuyasha and Miroku, she pulled them towards the furniture section.

"Oi, Kagome! What are you doing?" Inuyasha questioned.

"I'm getting a new table you moron!" she huffed. "You broke my last one."

He mumbled some apology under his breath, and Miroku pointed out that they had reached furniture. Kagome released the two delinquent boys, and glanced around. "Alright. Now to find a table."

After searching through various tables (from patio furniture to elegant woodwork that was way out of her budget) Kagome finally settled on a simple wood table with a leaf pattern engraved on the four corners. Having forgotten a shopping cart (she was too caught up in beating the boys at Mario Kart64), Kagome pondered how to get the table to the check out counter. There was no way she could lift it, much less carry it. Inuyasha, however, merely waved her onward, hefting the boxed table (you had to assemble it at home) onto his shoulder and strolling towards the checkout aisle.

Inwardly, Kagome marveled at the hanyou's strength again. Just what exactly was this boy capable of? Shrugging, she followed him and Miroku to pay for the table. Continuing out to the car, they stuffed the box in the trunk, just barely able to close the top. Hopping back into the driver's seat, she glanced over her shoulder at the two boys. "So you guys want to rent some movies?" Giving each other dubious looks, Miroku and Inuyasha chorused "Like _what_?"

Kagome shrugged, pulling out of the parking lot and heading towards the local video store. "It depends. What do you guys feel like?"

Inuyasha made a face. "Definitely _NOT_ a chick flick. Blah."

Miroku piped up in the back seat, "How 'bout an action film?"

Kagome tapped her chin, and pulled into the video store parking lot. "Maybe, but it has to have some sort of plot. Not just random violence, please."

Miroku and Inuyasha both looked confused. "Why?"

Kagome shook her head in mock pity. "Boys will be boys. We'll compromise and get a couple movies. C'mon you two."

Following obediently, the trio headed into the store. Kagome flashed a grin. "Alright, here's the deal: I'll pick out one movie, and you two pick out one movie, ok?"

"Whoa," interjected Inuyasha, "There's two of us- shouldn't we be able to pick out two movies?"

"But I have to pay for them," Kagome pointed out.

"True, but what if Dog boy and I can't co-operate on what movie to get?" Miroku stated.

Kagome tossed her hands into the air in defeat. "Fine! Geez, you guys can get two movies."

Inuyasha and Miroku exchanged high fives, and headed directly for the action section. Kagome shook her head. "Those two are worse than Souta." She paused, musing silently over her new found friends. She had just met the two mischievous boys that day, and yet she felt as though she had known them for much longer. Grinning, she headed towards her own favorite movie section: Romance.

Fifteen minutes later, the trio met up and showed what each had picked.

Inuyasha went first, and held up his choice of Mission Impossible II.

Miroku grinned, stating that his choice of The Matrix was better by far.

Kagome held up her choice of Titanic, making both boys groan. They exchanged looks and chorused "_Chick flick._"

Kagome grabbed the two movies they had picked and walked towards the clerk. "It is not a chick flick. I bet neither of you have seen it, let alone know what it's about!"

Inuyasha shrugged sheepishly. "Uh… a big 'unsinkable' ship that sinks?"

Miroku added his two cents. "Yeah, and I heard that there's some guy in it that all the girls drool over. I heard he's gay."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "His name is Leonardo DiCaprio, and he's not gay."

"Oh?" questioned Miroku, "So are _you_ one of the girls who drools over this 'Leonardo' fellow?"

Kagome glared at him, a slight blush staining her cheeks. "No!"

Inuyasha snorted. "Right."

"What? I'm not allowed to think actors are hot?" Kagome handed the movies to the clerk, and faced the two boys in indignation.

"Aha!" cried Miroku, "You DO think he's hot!"

"Gah. MIROKU!" She handed the money to the video clerk, trying to hide her blush. "I just have a thing for light haired guys, ok? Just give it a rest."

Miroku smirked and shot Inuyasha a look, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. "Ya know Kagome, Inuy-"

Inuyasha clamped a hand over Miroku's mouth, effectively cutting off the rest of the pony-tailed boy's sentence. Dragging him to the car, Inuyasha tossed a "We'll wait for you outside," over his shoulder on the way out the door.

Kagome arched her eyebrows in confusion, but merely shrugged, taking her change and movies and following the two boys out to the car. Outside, she came upon Inuyasha yelling at Miroku to 'stay out of his love life', while Miroku merely kept a sly grin on his face, forming a smart comeback. Both boys abruptly cut off as Kagome exited the store, blinking at her.

Kagome rolled her eyes, and tossed the movies into the car. Following suit, the trio sat in the car. Suddenly, Miroku gasped. Glancing at his watch, he swore softly. "Hey, Kagome? I hate to have to ditch you guys, but do you think you can drop me off at my friend's house? I promised him that I'd be there 20 minutes ago. And," he smirked, "I'm supposed to go on a double date with him, his girlfriend and his girlfriend's friend."

Kagome smiled. "No problem, just give me directions."

"Awesome," Miroku flashed her a grateful grin. "Take a left at this stop sign."

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Thirty minutes later, Inuyasha and Kagome walked in the front door of the Sunset Shrine. Inuyasha deposited the newly acquired kitchen table by the old and busted one, and both left their shoes at the door. Stretching, Kagome gave a small yawn. "Hey Inuyasha, feel like watching a movie?"

He groaned. "Do I have to watch the sappy one?"

"Oh yeah, definitely." Kagome grinned.

Inuyasha's shoulders slumped in defeat, and he sighed. "Fine."

"Great! Here," she tossed him a bag of popcorn. "You make that, and I'll go get blankets."

Accepting his fate, Inuyasha complied, popping the popcorn and putting it in a bowl. Heading into the living room, he saw Kagome waiting on the couch with a blanket. "Is the movie ready?"

She nodded. "Yep." She winked. "I promise it's not that bad."

Inuyasha grunted as he sat next to her. "Keh. That's what _you_ say." He passed her the popcorn.

"Here," she covered Inuyasha with half the blanket she was using. "We only have one spare blanket right now. The other one is kinda covered in your blood from when you were hurt. I hope you don't mind sharing."

Inuyasha gave her lopsided grin, making Kagome's heart beat faster. "Nah. Do you mind?"

She flashed him a smile. "Not at all. Hey, speaking of which, is your wound completely healed already?"

Inuyasha nodded, with a smirk. "Yeah. Since I'm a hanyou I heal pretty fast." He watched her face for any reaction to his blatant statement of his demon nature, but surprisingly none came. She simply said "Cool," and munched on popcorn, pressing the play button and starting the movie. Inuyasha sighed. _Titanic, huh?_

For the next three hours, Inuyasha watched the romantic tale of Jack and Rose: a low class boy in love with a high class beauty. Through the movie, the popcorn disappeared, and Kagome crept steadily closer to Inuyasha. When about half an hour was left of the movie, Kagome fell fast asleep, her head coming to rest on the hanyou's shoulder. The boy tensed, then slowly relaxed. As he watched the end of the movie, Inuyasha saw the irony of how he, an arguably scorned hanyou, was slowly starting to feel the beginnings of affection for the pure beauty named Kagome Higurashi. As he watched Jack die to protect his loved one, Rose, Inuyasha rested his head on top of Kagome's. He wrapped on arm around the girl's shoulders and she snuggled into the warmth. As the credits began to roll, Inuyasha clicked the TV off via the remote, blanketing the room in darkness.

Inhaling Kagome's sweet scent, he felt the urge to kiss the top of her head, but squashed the idea right away. "I don't know why, but I feel like I have to protect you, you stupid girl."

And with that, the scorned hanyou Inuyasha let his newfound affection wash over him, musing over how Kagome Higurashi had suddenly appeared in his life. Deciding to figure it all out later, he dozed off, and the two slept peacefully in each other's arms.

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And thus ends another chapter. I had to add some fluff at the end. I love fluff, so be prepared- there will be more! . Sango and Houjo will be appearing in upcoming chapters too. As for the other movies that they rented, they'll watch those later. Leave a review if you can (I love reading them, you guys leave the GREATEST comments!) Any suggestions for the story are welcome as well. Oh, and I hope no one minds that I threw some American bands into the story. I happen to like all three of them. Ja ne minna-san! _::gives everyone a free kitchen table like the one Kagome bought.::_


	4. A Prince or a Badass?

**Author Notey-thingy**: Ohayo everyone! First off, I am SO sorry that this is late. Real life kinda decided to take away all my free time, thus the lateness of the posting. Bah. But I think updates should be faster now. Second, WHOA! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I'm so happy I could dance! in fact..._ ::does a little dance again.::_ We've broken 150 reviews! Rock on everyone, this is the most reviews I've ever received in my life- I'm so happy I'm practically giddy. Oi... anyways, thanks again! Enjoy the chapter!

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Chapter Four: A Prince or a Badass?

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The next morning, sunlight filtered in through the window in the Higurashi's living room, coming to rest on the sweet couple that was fast asleep on the couch. Kagome blinked sleepily, not wanting to move from the warmth that enveloped her. Her eyes widened as she took in her surroundings. Her head was tucked underneath Inuyasha's chin, and his arms were wrapped around her. She grinned happily, and ran a hand through Inuyasha's hair, delighting in the way the sunlight reflected all the bright hues. It was true, Kagome really did have a thing for light hair- especially silvery white like Inuyasha's. She grinned as she saw his cute furry ears. Giving in to temptation, she rubbed one of his ears, giggling when a low rumble of happiness came from Inuyasha's chest, and he leaned into the touch. Blushing, she gave his ear a few last strokes, and pulled her hand away.

Kagome bit her lip, wondering how she was going to get out of the hanyou's hold. She gently pushed his arm away, but his grip only tightened. She sighed, and tried again, slipping his arms over her head. She managed to squirm free and giggled as he reached for the warmth that was no longer there. Smiling, she tucked the blanket around him. Breathing a sigh of relief, she looked towards the stairs. "Time to take a shower!"

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_Blink. _

Inuyasha opened one sleepy eye, groggily glancing around the room. He was content and felt safe, a feeling that he hadn't experienced in quite some time. Now... where was he again? He sat up, remembering the Higurashi's living room. Oh yeah... he was with that girl, Kagome. A slow smile tugged the corner's of his mouth at the thought of her name. Stretching his arms out above his head, his ears swiveled around, listening for a sound from the girl. Hearing the sound of rushing water from the upstairs bathroom, he guessed that she had gone to take a shower. He blinked again, and looked down at his rumpled clothes, consisting of a black shirt and stone washed jeans. Oh well, it wasn't like he had anything to change into anyway.

The hanyou stood up, tossing the blanket on the back of the couch. An evil grin crept onto his face as an idea popped into his head. So Kagome was in the shower then, was she? Inuyasha grinned as he sauntered to the downstairs bathroom. This would be good.

Upstairs, Kagome hummed a soft tune as she took her shower. Grabbing some shampoo, she began to wash her hair. The events from the previous day flashed through her head, and she sighed. _What exactly have I gotten myself into?_ True, it was rather odd that a half dog demon was currently staying in her home. She wasn't really sure she believed it herself. It had all come out of the blue... and then Miroku had suddenly showed up. She smiled, giggling at the memories of the two boys. Ducking her head under the spray of water, she rinsed her hair off. She had only met Miroku and Inuyasha the previous day, but she felt extremely close to the two. _Why?_ She frowned, wondering how she had grown so close to the mischievous duo in such a short time. She barely even knew them for crying out loud! And Inuyasha... she blushed. Inuyasha was unlike anyone she had ever met before.

And that's exactly what Kagome was looking for.

Kagome's whole life had been pretty normal. She got good grades, did well in sports, and had a few really close friends. She was even well liked at school. Or at least, no one hated her. And it seemed as though Houjo had a bit of a crush on her. But there was always something missing... something exciting that she wanted. It may have sounded odd, but Kagome was very glad she had met the dog demon and his friend. Not only were they wonderful companions, but they were exciting! How many people could claim to have a demon for a friend? Kagome grinned. She would have to be careful though. There was still a lot she didn't know about the two boys, and she'd have to be wary not to be _too_ trusting. And she did sort of like Inuyasha...

The spray of water suddenly turned ice cold, and Kagome let loose a shriek of surprise. The sound of a toilet flushing downstairs and Inuyasha's laughter could be heard. Kagome cursed, jumping out of the shower.

"_INUYASHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!_"

The hanyou's laughter only grew louder. Kagome's fist tightened as she wrapped a towel around her wet body. Stomping down the stairs, she headed towards the downstairs bathroom, where the laughter was coming from. Flinging the bathroom door wide open, Kagome pointed an accusing finger at the boy, who was currently doubled up with laughter. "You!"

Inuyasha laughed, holding his sides as though in pain. Kagome stomped her bare foot on the floor, wishing the boy would stop. "Would you shut up? I can't believe you did that! Do you have _any_ idea how cold that was!?"

Inuyasha made an obvious attempt to quiet his laughter, and shrugged as he stood up. "I know, but I couldn't resist... I'm-" His gaze finally came to rest on the girl, as his brain registered what exactly it was that he was seeing. His eyes took in her furious form, dripping wet, covered in naught but a towel. One fist was planted firmly on her hip, while the other held the towel together. Her eyes were ablaze with anger, and her hair was starting to curl into ringlets as it began to dry.

She was beautiful. And right in front of him. And they were alone in the house...

Inuyasha stuttered for a moment, and Kagome's expression changed from anger to confusion. She stepped toward him, concerned for the sudden blankness of his face, and her hand reached out to him. "Inuyasha?"

A furious blush spread across the hanyou's cheeks as he watched the towel slowly slip down Kagome's form. She wasn't even paying attention to her modesty! He was only a man... well, dog demon man... whatever! _How can she stand there and look so damn good and not even notice?! _

Kagome took another step towards the frantic hanyou, and the towel slipped down again, starting to let her ample chest show through. Kagome frowned as Inuyasha gulped and took a step back. "Inuyasha, are you ok? You look-"

"I'm sorry! Uh... Gotta go!" The dog demon burst past the startled girl, running out the door and into the back of the shrine grounds. Kagome stood in shock, wondering what had just happened. She glanced down at her body, suddenly realizing her state of undress. A heavy blush spread across her cheeks, and her eyes widened. "Oops.."

As the full impact of the situation registered in Kagome's mind, she burst into laughter. Giggling, she gasped for breath. "Oh no... Inuyasha... I'm sorry..." She continued to laugh as she headed to her room to get dressed.

Fifteen minutes later, Kagome was dressed and had dried her hair, ready to greet the day. She headed to the kitchen, pausing to search through the refrigerator. _Hmm..._ there wasn't a whole lot in there. She would have to go shopping... again. Closing the refrigerator, she leaned her back against it. Inuyasha probably needed to go shopping too, he would need clothes and such for himself. But he didn't have any money... well, she didn't mind paying. He was her friend after all. How long did he plan on staying with her, though? Miroku had said that he had a home- wouldn't he want to go back? Oh well, she'd just have to ask him. Where was the crazy hanyou anyways? Following his earlier hasty path of departure, Kagome walked into the backyard of the shrine. Her eyes scanned over the grounds, finally coming to rest on the upper branches of Goshinboku, the sacred tree of the Higurashi's shrine. _How did he get up there?_

She walked underneath the huge limbs of the tree, staring up at the pensive boy through the branches. His back was resting against the trunk of the tree, and his golden eyes were staring at the morning horizon in thought. Kagome looked over his serious profile, wondering what was on his mind. Figuring she had been staring long enough, she called out to the boy. "Hey, Inuyasha!"

The boy jerked, startled out of his reverie. Glaring down at the girl, he growled. "What?"

Kagome gulped, confused at his sudden change in demeanor. What was his problem? Well, maybe he was still embarrassed from earlier? Or was it something else? Kagome shook her head to clear her mind. "I just wanted to know if you'd like to come shopping with me. Do you want to come with?"

Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow, a visible sign of relief passing over his features. Shrugging his shoulders, he nodded. "Sure." Swinging his legs to one side of the branch, he pushed himself off.

Kagome screamed as the boy seemingly fell off of the tree, but he landed deftly on his feet, crouched with one hand on the ground for balance. Kagome's mouth hung open in amazement, and Inuyasha smirked. "Did I scare you?"

Kagome's mouth clicked shut, and she whacked Inuyasha on the top of his head. "You did that on purpose!"

Inuyasha grinned, pushing himself into a standing position. "Of course. You didn't really think I'd get hurt, did you?"

"Well... " Kagome blushed, shrugging slightly as she glanced into the branches of the Goshinboku. "You were pretty high up there. A normal human would have been killed, but you landed perfectly." Astonishment registered in her eyes, and Inuyasha looked almost hurt at her words.

_A normal human, huh?_ He was anything BUT normal. "Yeah... guess I'm just lucky." The hanyou muttered, and his ears drooped.

Kagome grinned. "Yeah you are, that was so awesome!"

Inuyasha started, looking at the girl in disbelief. "Wha?"

Kagome nodded, a happy smile fixed on her face. "It must be great to be a hanyou! You have so many great advantages over humans. You've got some serious strength, great vision, and your claws have got to be great in a fight," she ticked the reasons off on her fingers, as Inuyasha stood in confusion. Kagome continued "And judging by your ears, you've probably got really good hearing too. I mean, I'll bet I don't even know what half of your abilities are!"

Inuyasha slowly shook his head. This girl actually thought being a hanyou was cool ? _Dear gods..._ the only other person who ever thought anything even remotely similar to that was Miroku! Normal humans were either scared out of their minds by him, or they... taunted him endlessly. Inuyasha blinked. But Kagome did neither of these.

Inuyasha snorted and crossed his arms. "Well, you're right so far. Even about my stupid ears."

Kagome frowned. "They're not stupid."

Fire blazed in the hanyou's eyes, and he took a few steps closer to the startled girl. "Oh _really_? These goddamn ears are the worst out of everything I have from being a hanyou! They're a dead giveaway that I'm no where even close to being normal, much less human! Do you know how much that makes people hate me? They despise the fact that I have advantages over them! Or, they're scared out of their minds. And if not that, they make my life a living hell by berating me every fucking minute of my life!"

Kagome gulped, a determined look in her eyes. "Well I'm not like that!"

Inuyasha growled. "Then you're one in a million, because everyone else on this planet other than you and Miroku fucking hates me. And it's mainly because of these goddamn ears!!"

Kagome broke her fierce gaze with the enraged demon, a slight blush spreading on her cheeks, and two small tears formed in the corner of her eyes. "I-...I'm sorry. I didn't know, Inuyasha. I just thought you ears were cute..." She stared at the ground, avoiding the demon's piercing look as her blush increased. She blinked, and the tears slipped down her cheeks.

Inuyasha's heart broke as he looked at the girl. Damnit... what had he done now? He made the girl cry, and now he felt terrible. The enraged fire in his eyes burned out, replaced with remorse. "Kagome..."

The girl kept her eyes firmly fixed on the ground. "I'm sorry Inuyasha. I thought that being a hanyou would be cool... I didn't know people hated you for it. I like your ears, too."

Inuyasha's ears perked up, a faint blush tinting his cheeks. "Kagome... look at me." His hand reached out, pulling her chin up so her gaze met his. "I'm not mad at you." He sighed, breaking the contact and running a hand through his hair. "My ears are just..." he blushed, "A really sensitive subject with me. I didn't mean to take my anger out on you. It's just that people have done a lot of damage to my pride in the past. Please don't cry..."

Kagome smiled though her tears, throwing her arms around the hanyou in a hug. Inuyasha jerked, startled, as his arms slowly came to circle around the girl's waist. The girl sniffed, trying to stop the tears. "I know you're not mad at me, Inuyasha. It just makes me so sad that people would be so prejudice against you, just because you're a hanyou! I mean, you never did anything to them, right?"

Inuyasha blinked, realization dawning in his golden eyes. _She was crying for me?_ But the girl barely even knew him! She didn't even know what his younger years had been like, and yet she was crying for him. This girl, Kagome... she was something else. His thumbs lightly stroked her hips where his hands held her. Kagome was something else, and he liked it.

A slow grin spread across the boy's face, and a happy rumble came from his chest. "So," he drawled, "You like my ears?"

Kagome tore herself out of the boy's grip, averting her red face. "Well... yeah. They're different and..." she mumbled, "Kinda cute."

"So, you don't mind the fact that I'm different?"

"No!" She blinked. "Well, I mean it's a bit shocking that you have all these awesome abilities, but I like them." She grinned, meeting his gaze again. "And I'm kind of envious too. I can't wait to see just what you're capable of!"

Inuyasha smirked, male pride and ego fully ablaze_. Little girl, you have no idea what you just got yourself into._ He chuckled and Kagome quirked an eyebrow at him. "What?"

His smirk widened and he waved a hand. "Nothing. You said something about shopping...?"

Kagome nodded, checking her purse to make sure she had enough money. "Yeah. I really need to get some groceries, and I'm guessing you'll probably want some other clothes and stuff. So we can go to the store that's kind of close by, instead of going to Walmart like last time-"

"Good," Inuyasha cut the girl off. "Let's go."

"What? _ACK_!"

Inuyasha had abruptly picked up the girl, and deposited her on his back. He smirked over his shoulder at the her startled expression, and she gripped his broad shoulders. "You said you wanted to know what my other abilities are, right? Well now you get to experience it first hand! Oh, and you might want to hang on." He grinned.

Kagome was still a bit shocked, but complied, gripping her legs against the hanyou's hips. "Um ok, what are you-"

Kagome shrieked as the hanyou bounded off, taking a running start and deftly jumping on top of the shrine's roof. She had locked her hands to the boy's shoulders, gripping fistfuls of his shirt. She had squeezed her eyes shut, and she warily opened them to stare at the ground that was now two stories below her. "Whoa..."

Inuyasha smirked. "Heh. Now, which way is the store?"

"Umm..." Kagome shifted her position, wrapping her legs around the hanyou so she could balance better in order to see. The boy grunted, a blush spreading across his face that went unseen by the human girl. "To the east, right by that big sign in the distance. The store is about a block away from that."

Inuyasha nodded, and Kagome resettled herself against his back. "Here we go!" Grinning, the hanyou leaped off the roof, landing on the roof of a house that was a good distance away. He paused, then took off again. Leaping from rooftop to rooftop, over offices, houses, and apartment buildings. Kagome laughed happily, her hair flying in the wind, and Inuyasha laughed with her. He hadn't felt this good in a long time, and it had been ages since he'd been able to exercise freely is his hanyou form.

Inuyasha let loose a whoop of joy and flipped through the air, with Kagome shrieking in surprise. The hanyou laughed, and continued onwards. The store was now in sight, and Inuyasha dropped down into an alley next to the store. He set Kagome back on her feet, and he was delighted with the giddy and ruffled look on her face.

She grinned. "That was the most fun thing I have ever done in my entire life."

Inuyasha smirked. "It's the only way to travel."

Kagome laughed, and Inuyasha joined her. The girl tried to fix her wind tossed hair, combing it with her fingers. When she was satisfied, she tugged Inuyasha towards the store entrance. "C'mon, let's go get some food."

Inuyasha complied, and she let go. They walked through the entrance, only to be greeted by an older woman behind the cash register. "Good morning, Kagome!"

Kagome turned, and greeted the old woman. "Hello Kaede, I haven't seen you in forever!" A warm smile graced the girl's lips. The store was run and owned by Lady Kaede. The store was by no means small, especially for a local food shop. But Kaede was the only one who ever ran the cash register, for reasons known only to her. Kagome sometimes helped out at the shop, and it was her favorite place to buy groceries.

Lady Kaede smiled. "Been busy with school, lately? I bet you're glad you have this vacation time off."

Kagome grinned. "Boy am I ever! Those finals were really hard."

Inuyasha snorted behind her, and he received another odd glance from a passing shopper. That was the tenth time someone had stared at him- what was their problem?

Kagome rolled her eyes. "I forgot to introduce my friend. Lady Kaede, meet Inuyasha." The hanyou nodded in the older woman's direction, and a spark of knowledge flashed behind her eyes.

Lady Kaede grinned. "It's a pleasure to meet you Inu... Yasha. Don't you think it's a bit too early for Halloween, though?" The woman's eyes focused on the two furry ears atop the boy's head

The hanyou scowled, about to ask what the hell she was talking about, when rational thought kicked in. His ears! They were in plain sight for everyone to see! He mentally kicked himself. _Stupid, stupid, idiot!_ He glanced at the startled girl next to him. Great, not only had he blown his own cover, but he was with Kagome. There was no way in hell that she would want to be seen in public with a lowly hanyou. He'd be better off just leaving and-

Kagome interrupted the boy's self degrading thoughts. "Umm... actually it's an experiment we've decided to try out. It's for a downtown costume shop, and the ears are a prototype. They're powered by batteries to simulate the movement of real dog ears and uh... well, don't they just look so realistic?" The girl laughed nervously, praying the woman would go along with it. Lady Kaede was as sharp as a tack, but luckily she had a soft spot for Kagome.

The old woman tapped her chin thoughtfully, deciding to go along with the plot. But the knowledge in her eyes told the hanyou and girl that she wasn't fooled in the least. But they were lucky for now. "Yes, they really are very realistic looking. A bit scruffy though..."

Inuyasha growled and started to defend his ears, but Kagome elbowed him in the ribs. "I suppose. Well, we'd better go get our groceries. See you later Lady Kaede!"

Laughter passed through the old woman's eyes. "Of course. See you in a bit."

Kagome grabbed Inuyasha's hand, pulling him away from the woman. They passed through a small crowd of people who murmured compliments on the realistic quality of his "fake" ears, but Kagome continued on with a purpose.

She gripped the boy's hand, pulling him after her toward a specific section of the store. The boy glanced down at their interlocked hands, strangely happy that Kagome had not hesitated to touch his clawed hand. Many humans merely flinched at the sight, but this girl was holding his hand willingly! She was a rare one indeed. A happy grin slowly crept onto his face. And she hadn't left him alone! He had been sure that the girl would have been embarrassed and disgusted at being seen with a hanyou, but yet she seemed not to care. And she had even made up an excuse for him. If he didn't know better...

"Alright." Kagome let Inuyasha's hand go, and let loose a big sigh of relief. "That was a close one." She grabbed a black bandana off a nearby rack, and handed it to the boy. "Here, put this on."

Inuyasha looked at her hand for a moment, then up at her face, a quizzical expression apparent on his features. "Why didn't you leave me?"

Kagome frowned. "Huh?"

"You didn't leave me back there... you weren't embarrassed that you were seen with a hanyou. You're not bothered by the fact that you've just been in plain sight with a hated demon?"

"Nope. Should I be?" Kagome cocked her head slowly to the side.

Suddenly, Kagome found herself enveloped in the boy's arms, as he hugged her tightly. He buried his nose in her hair. "Silly girl," he mumbled. "Why must you be so different from everyone else?"

He abruptly pulled away, snatching the bandana from her hands and tying it around his head to conceal his ears. Kagome gaped, amazed at the boy's sudden show of affection. "Um..." she shook her head. "We need to go get some food. Do you have anything in mind?"

Inuyasha secured the bandana around his head, and glanced up. "Keh. Whatever, as long as it's edible."

Kagome giggled. Apparently the boy was embarrassed by his show of affection. Well that was just too bad. "Although," Inuyasha edged, "That ramen stuff was pretty good."

Kagome grinned. "Alright. Let's go find some ramen then, shall we?"

Forty-five minutes later, Inuyasha and Kagome returned back to the cash register where Lady Kaede was, their shopping cart full to the point of busting. Inuyasha had packed the bottom part of the cart full of instant ramen, and Kagome had picked up a ton of both healthy and snack foods. She did plan on having a party sometime soon, so she'd need to have some food on hand. Kagome grinned sheepishly as she loaded the food onto the counter. "I guess we got a _little_ carried away."

Inuyasha snorted and Lady Kaede merely shook her head playfully. As the older woman rang up the items, a thought suddenly struck Kagome. "Hey, Inuyasha?"

"Eh?" The hanyou cocked an eyebrow.

"I just thought of something... we still need to go shopping for clothes, and I don't feel like lugging all the food around with us. And I don't want to bring all this food home, only to have to come straight back out to the mall again." She sighed. "But I guess we don't have a choice."

Lady Kaede cleared her throat pointedly. "Actually..." she glanced at the boy and girl. "If you wish, you may leave your food here while you shop. Just pick it up on your way home."

Kagome grinned. "Wow, you'd do that for us? Thanks! But wait... won't some of it spoil?"

Lady Kaede merely waved a hand. "I have extra freezers."

"Alright!" Inuyasha smirked as Kagome cheered. "Thank you so much Lady Kaede!" Reaching into her purse, Kagome pulled out the money she would need to pay the hefty bill for the food. Receiving her change from the woman, she glanced back at Inuyasha. "So, you ready to face the chaos of Tokyo Plaza mall?"

Inuyasha snorted. "Of course." Inside, he blanched. He never really was one for big crowds. Oh well, he needed the clothes.

Kagome waved at Lady Kaede as she exited the store, her hanyou friend in tow. "Thanks again Lady Kaede, we'll be back later! See ya!"

Kaede waved back at the two, grinning. "Hmph," she mused. "Of all the demons to wind up with, Kagome stumbles upon Inuyasha. I'll be damned..." The old woman shook her head as she began to store Kagome's food.

----------------------

"_Woohooo!!!_"

Kagome threw her hands into the air, as she and Inuyasha bounded across rooftops. "This is so awesome!" Kagome was clinging to Inuyasha's back again as the duo made their way towards the mall. Kagome was having the time of her life, enjoying the ride as Inuyasha leapt across huge expanses between buildings. Every now and then she could hear a deep chuckle from the hanyou, as he laughed at her crazy antics.

Kagome grinned and closed her eyes. It almost felt as though she were flying, and it was incredible. And it was so fun! Opening her eyes, Kagome peered onto the horizon. "Hey, Inuyasha! There's the mall up ahead to your left. We're almost there."

Inuyasha nodded, then grinned. Time for a bit of fun. As he landed on a rooftop, he paused, grabbing Kagome off of his back. The girl blinked, confused as to why she was suddenly in his arms. The hanyou gave the girl a wolfish grin, then launched her into the air. She shrieked as the boy tossed her into the air, but Inuyasha merely chuckled. Taking a running start, he bounded upwards, catching the girl in mid air as she began to make her descent.

Kagome threw her arms around the hanyou, burying her face in his neck, refusing to let go. Inuyasha's laugh rumbled in amusement at the girl's reaction, shaking his head. "Did I scare you?"

"Hell yes!" Came the muffled reply. "I cannot believe you just did that! I mean, GEEZ! You scared the hell out of me!"

Inuyasha chuckled, tightening his grip on the girl. "If you trust me, then you should have known I was going to catch you."

The girl snorted. "Baka." She sighed, relaxing her death grip on the boy. "You're right though... I knew you'd catch me."

Inuyasha rumbled happily again, somehow satisfied with her answer. Dropping off the rooftop, he landed in an empty parking lot, and set the dazed girl on her feet once again. He was reluctant to release her from his arms, but he brushed the thought aside.

Kagome once again tried to fix her windblown hair, but left it as a lost cause. Who knew, maybe she'd start a new hairstyle trend or something. People were weird like that. Straightening her clothes, she fixed her gaze on the boy next to her. "So, you ready?"

Inuyasha fidgeted, tightening his bandana on his head and scuffing a foot across the ground. He coughed, and returned her gaze. "Of course I am."

The dark haired girl quirked an eyebrow at the boy. "_Inuyasha_..."

The boy growled. "What?"

Kagome stuck her hands on her hips. "You don't like crowds, do you?"

All she got in reply was a growl.

"You _don't_ like crowds!" Taking his growl as a yes, she glared back at him. "Why didn't you tell me?"

The boy threw his hands up into the air. "Well, fuck! Can't a guy have some privacy?"

"Of course you can you moron, but I wouldn't have dragged you to the mall if I had known you didn't like big crowds!" Kagome huffed in annoyance.

"Exactly!" Inuyasha shoulders slumped, looking away from the girl. "I don't like fucking crowds, ok? But... we need to buy some stuff, and I don't want to skip out on it just because I don't like being around annoying masses of idiots who have nothing better to do but stand around and get in other people's way." He crossed his arms and angrily kicked a stray stone.

Kagome's eyes softened at the hanyou's words. There was definitely more to his fear of crowds than the boy was letting on. But he was being his usual self and covering it up with anger. Well, no matter. She would just have to ask him later. "So... uh," the girl paused, looking for the right words to say.

"Let's just go get the damn clothes." The boy flipped his hair over his shoulder, stalking towards the mall entrance.

The girl blinked, then grinned. She easily caught up with the boy, who still had his arms crossed. Keeping pace with him, Kagome walked toward the mall. Inuyasha's arms slowly came down from their defiant position as he prepared himself to enter Tokyo Plaza Mall.

The duo walked through the automatic doors, and Kagome immediately felt the boy next to her stiffen. His muscles were taught, and his eyes were wide, the golden orbs flashing with anger. The boy stood stock still, looking for all the world like he had just seen a mortal enemy.

Kagome wildly looked around for anything that could be threatening to Inuyasha, but she found nothing. What was setting off his anger like this? It was almost like he was preparing to defend against something... _wait_. Kagome squinted, meticulously searching Inuyasha's face. His eyes were a bit unfocused, almost as though he was remembering something. Maybe the crowd had brought up some bad experience from his previous years? A low growl grew in the boy's throat and Kagome's eyes widened. She had to do something soon, or Inuyasha might start attacking something- or worse, someone!

Pushing back her fear, Kagome clasped her hand around Inuyasha's and forcibly pulled him away from the entrance, deeper into the mass of people. The boy's grasp tightened almost painfully on her own, and his head whipped to face her, a growl escaping his lips. She could feel his claws prick her skin, and Kagome prayed that Inuyasha would snap out of whatever the hell had happened to him and recognize her. She continued to pull him along behind her, intent to keep moving. Suddenly, Inuyasha snarled and stopped, yanking her arm back so she stood face to face with the enraged hanyou. Something was seriously wrong, it was as though he didn't know what he was doing!

A few passing shoppers gave the couple odd glances, but continued on their way. Inuyasha glared down at the girl in front of him, a glazed look in his eyes, but anger was still prominent. His grip on her hand tightened again, and Kagome winced. For the first time, serious fear entered Kagome's mind. What if Inuyasha attacked her?

She forcibly pushed that thought out of her head, and looked back at the hanyou. What the hell was going on? "Inuyasha?" Her voice was hesitant, full of worry and fear, both for herself and the boy.

Kagome watched in amazement as the boy's grip slowly slackened on her own hand, and his eyes slowly began to focus on her. He blinked, looking confused as his eyes fully refocused. "_Wha_... Kagome?" He shook his head as though to shake off a sleeping potion. His look was bewildered, and a bit scared. "What just happened?"

Kagome grinned, throwing her arms around the boy in another unexpected hug that day. Letting go, she backed away. Shaking her head, she shrugged. "Honestly, I have absolutely no idea. You kinda freaked out as soon as we entered the mall... I think the crowd has something to do with it."

Inuyasha nodded slowly, gazing around him. He nodded as if to confirm what she had just said. "Yeah..." His gaze focused on her hand, and he gasped, pulling her closer to inspect. Purple bruises were beginning to form on her skin, almost in a hand print. He scowled, his look full of guilt. His golden eyes locked with Kagome's gray-blue ones, as he carefully held her hand. "Did I do this?"

Kagome winced. "Um, yeah. But it was actually my fault. I know you didn't mean to. It was pretty stupid of me, see, I didn't know what to do and you looked like you might attack someone and I figured _maybe_ if I pulled you away then... um..." she babbled on, trying to get the guilty look off of the boy's face.

Inuyasha scowled, full of remorse. He shuddered, unable to shake the feeling of self-disgust. How could he have done this? Kagome should just leave him behind, he didn't deserve to even be close to her. Look at what he had done when he wasn't paying attention! _Who knows what could have happened..._

Inuyasha dropped her hand, growling. His fierce gaze met with her own, and Kagome took a step back, startled at the intensity in his eyes. "Inu-"

"I'm sorry." He cut the girl off, turning his back so he didn't have to face her. "I don't know what happened, but..." He clenched a fist in anger, "If I can't even control my own strength, then it's not safe for you to be around me."

Kagome shook her head. "It was just an accident, it wasn't you fault. Come on, let's go..."

He whirled around violently, making the girl take a step back again. "Don't you understand? Didn't you hear what I just said? It's not fucking safe for you to be around me!" The crowd around the couple starting to whisper curiously, shooting glances at the boy and girl. Inuyasha's eyes blazed and stepped up to Kagome. "I don't want to hurt you ok? You don't even have the slightest idea of what I'm capable of!"

Curiosity entered Kagome's eyes. "Just how strong are you, Inuyasha?"

The hanyou scowled. "Really fucking strong, alright? Aren't you listening to me?" he gave her a slight push backwards. "Get out of here. It's not safe around me, just look at your damn hand! Just stay away and-"

_SLAP_.

Inuyasha clutched a hand to his stinging cheek, a faint red mark visible. His eyes were wide, watching as Kagome lowered her hand. She had slapped him? She DARED to slap HIM? Just who did she-

"Shut the hell up, Inuyasha." Kagome grabbed the boy's arm, pulling him after her. She shoved him into a deserted corridor of the mall, the hallway having been closed off for renovations.

Inuyasha pulled his arm out of her grasp. "Look, bitch. I don't know what you're trying to pull. Don't think you can just haul me around like some puppy." He noticed Kagome wasn't even paying attention to him. In fact, she was glancing around the hallway, as though looking for any people. "And what the hell are you doing?"

She glanced around a few more times. Satisfied, she turned around to face the hanyou. She glared as he opened his mouth to speak again. "Shut up." The hanyou's mouth clicked shut, fury rising in his eyes again. Kagome sighed and ran a hand through her hair. Sending a pleading look to the furious demon, she grasped his shoulder. He threw her hand off, crossing his arms and glaring at her.

Kagome rested her hands on her hips. "Look, I know you're pissed off. But just listen to me for a second, ok? Please?" Her eyes pleaded with him, and he grunted in acceptance.

Kagome flashed a grin at the boy, startling him. That was NOT what he was expecting. Wasn't she going to yell at him again or something?

"Alright," Kagome stated. "First off. I'm not trying to just push you around, ok? I just wanted to get away from all those people out there. You should have seen some of the looks they were giving you. A couple people looked like they wanted to call security." She grinned wryly at the hanyou. "I'm guessing that an angry demon must look pretty threatening."

The boy blushed as he realized just how many people had seen his little display. _Whoops_. That was definitely bad.

"Second," Kagome continued, "Don't you even think I'll leave you, because I _won't_. Ever. You got that? I'm your friend, and I'm not just going to ditch you, so stop acting so surprised!" She glared as the half demon looked shocked at her words. Exasperated, she threw her hands up into the air. "Gods, Inuyasha! I'm not going anywhere! And you'd better stop telling me to leave too! You're not dangerous."

This got a response out of the boy. He pushed away from the wall he had been leaning against. "Yes I am! Just take a look at you fucking hand Kagome! I did that, and I wasn't even paying attention."

Kagome looked at her hand, then back at Inuyasha. "That's not what I meant. You're not dangerous to me."

Inuyasha paused, then glared. "The bruises on your hand would prove otherwise."

Kagome shook her head, smiling softly. "I think I've got it figured it out, Inuyasha. I believe you had a flashback. It wasn't me you were seeing, but some past enemy. I think the crowd set it off."

Inuyasha started to say something, but merely growled. "So what. I still hurt you."

"True, but you didn't mean to hurt me. You were trying to defend yourself against something from your past." Kagome stepped closer to the hanyou, trying to see through his shaded eyes. "What happened?"

The boy began to fidget, and his muscles tensed again. "I don't like crowds," he mumbled.

Kagome laughed dryly. "So I gathered. Inuyasha, what _happened_?"

Inuyasha sighed, rubbing his forehead in frustration. Why was it that he could never keep anything from this girl? "It was a long time ago..." He looked up, his mind's eye recounting the experience. "When I was little, we hadn't found a concealing spell to hide my youkai features yet. So, I went to a secret school for demons. It was so weird," he smiled ironically. "I was so excited to meet other demons, but by the end of the day I never wanted to see another demon again." His shoulders slumped. "And I never even did anything to them."

Kagome's heart wrenched at the pitiful tone of his voice. What was he talking about? What happened? "Inuyasha?"

"They all hated me. _Every single fucking one of them_." He scowled. "All because I was a hanyou, a lousy half demon. That's it. I don't know how they knew, maybe my scent is different or something. But the very first day, they all hated me. Wherever I went- in class, in the hallways, at lunch, outside, the taunting, laughter, kids kicking me, throwing stuff at me- it wouldn't end. And the teachers didn't care. They looked the other way, or worse, they picked on me too. That first day was hell, and recess was the worst." He choked, but continued on. "We had a half an hour break to go outside and exercise, play, whatever. I was alone by one of the trees, sitting on the ground. I hadn't done a single damn thing."

Inuyasha slammed his fist into the wall, leaving a huge crack and a gaping hole. "But they came anyway. Fifty or more demons surrounded me, some older, some the same age, maybe even a few were younger than me. Humans might make fun of each other, but they don't have youkai powers to inflict serious physical pain on each other." He shook his head. "I was a sitting target for all of them to test their powers on. One against fifty. A lousy hanyou against fifty full blooded demons."

Kagome gasped in horror. How could they do that? _They were just children!_ Poor Inuyasha...

He laughed sarcastically. "Yeah, I lost a lot of blood that day. I passed out after about thirty of the bastards threw their attacks at me. And it hurt like hell. One of the teachers supposedly took me inside and arranged for my father to come and get me. I really don't know what happened. I didn't wake up until the next morning, so my father could have found me unconscious outside for all I know." He shrugged. "But I'm a stubborn bastard, I get it from my mom." He grinned sadly. "I woke up the next morning, and went to school."

Kagome shrieked. "You WHAT? How? You had just woken up from practically being beaten to death!"

Inuyasha nodded. "I never said I was smart, just stubborn. I went to school that day, and for the rest of the week too. And the same thing happened every single goddamn day. I kept thinking _'they'll get bored sometime, it has to stop eventually',_ but it never did. If I wasn't a hanyou, I'd be dead right now."

"But they were just kids!" Kagome could not, for the life of her, see how these children could be so sadistic. "How could they do that?"

"Demon kids are a tad bit different from humans. They like pain and blood. Of course, the school I went to was for high blood demons, and that played a part in it." Inuyasha shrugged. "My father was the Great Demon of the Western lands, so supposedly I'm some sort of prince."

Kagome's jaw dropped, staring at the boy in front of her. He was... he was... _he was a prince!?_ Why didn't he tell her this before? Kagome felt slightly dizzy as information flooded through her brain. Inuyasha was a demon prince, rejected by his own kind, and tortured as a child. By the look on his face, there were many more painful memories that he wasn't willing to share. "Um..." Kagome stuttered, totally at a loss for what to say.

Inuyasha rested his head against the wall in front of him. "All those memories... they just came flooding back as soon as I walked through the door. I couldn't handle it, and I just lost it..." His gaze turned toward the girl, and odd expression on his face. "Gods Kagome, I must have scared the shit out of you..."

"Well..." Kagome tried to shake herself out of her stupor, but she just sat down on the floor instead. "No... I was just worried about you. It looked as though you were in pain. I didn't want you to be in pain..." She was looking at him, but almost seeing through him, her brain still playing catch up with her turbulent emotions.

Surprise registered in the hanyou's eyes, and he sat down next to the girl, placing his hand over hers. "You know," his soft voice tickled her ear, "It's been a very long time since anyone has cared about me, much less worried about me."

Kagome turned to look at the boy, as his thumb absently stroked the soft skin of her hand.

Inuyasha smiled slightly. "Kagome… thanks."

Kagome blinked a few times, finally gaining control of her crazy emotions and thoughts. She smiled back at the boy. "No problem Inuyasha. That's what friends are for. I never want to see you get hurt." She tugged on his hair playfully. "Besides, I need you around so I can kick your butt in video games."

Inuyasha grinned, crushing the girl against his body in a bear hug. Picking the girl up in his arms, he dipped her backwards. "Well we'll just have to have a rematch then, won't we Princess Peach?"

Kagome's heartbeat quickened at the boy's sudden change and his close proximity. She grinned back at him. "Well I guess we will, Wario."

Inuyasha smirked, and unceremoniously let the girl go, causing her fall backwards. At the very last second, her grabbed her arm and righted her. Kagome's head spun at the sudden movements. She seemed to be getting dizzy a lot today.

Inuyasha grinned. "Oi, don't we still have to go shopping?"

Kagome snapped her fingers in remembrance. "Oh yeah! Geez, I almost forgot."

Inuyasha snorted. "Apparently. Come on," he jerked his head towards the crowd of people. "Let's go mingle."

Kagome quirked an eyebrow at the hanyou. "Are you sure?"

"You'll be with me, right?"

Kagome nodded.

"Well then I'll be fine. The sales people had better beware, because extreme shopper Inuyasha has entered the building!" Inuyasha laughed haughtily, and Kagome rolled her eyes, walking past him and into the mass of people in the main corridor of the mall.

She turned to look over her shoulder. "Come on you baka, show me your extreme shopping skills!"

Inuyasha snorted and caught up with the girl, and together they headed towards the first of many stores.

------------------------

"Inuyasha! You can't just buy something without trying it on first! Get in the stupid dressing room and try it on!" Kagome pointed at said dressing room that Inuyasha adamantly refused to enter.

"I know my own size in clothing, alright? I don't need to try on some damn shirt to know it fits! I can tell by looking. And this is _not_ some freaking fashion show!" Inuyasha clutched a red pullover sweatshirt in his hand, some logo emblazoned on the front.

Kagome poked the stubborn hanyou in the chest. "Fine. Maybe you know it will fit, but just because it fits doesn't mean that it will look good. This is where a woman's touch comes in handy. You have to show me everything before you buy it, because as you know, I'm paying for it."

Inuyasha growled, but stuck his tongue out in defiance. "Fine. I'll show you what the stupid clothes look like. But I'm picking them out, not you."

Kagome smiled. "Deal." She took a quick glance around the store. "Inuyasha, I'll wait over there, ok? I'm just gonna go browse for clothes in the girl's section, it's right across from the men's so you can't miss it. And don't try to sneak off!"

The hanyou gave a small "Keh," and stalked off to pick out some outfits of his own. He quickly checked to make sure that the bandana was still firmly in place. It would not be good to reveal his demon heritage twice in one day. After he had compiled an armful of interesting clothes, he headed towards the dressing rooms. _Kagome wanted to see the outfits, did she?_ Inuyasha smirked. Well he would just have to make this interesting.

Back in the girl's section of clothing, Kagome browsed leisurely through various outfits, nothing really catching her eye. She spotted a leather mini skirt and grinned. She had never owned anything even remotely sexy like this, and she thought it was time for a change. She kept the skirt with her, planning on making a purchase of her own.

"Oi. Does this outfit meet your approval?"

Kagome grinned as the harsh male voice reached her ears. Leave it to Inuyasha to turn shopping into a challenge of wills. Oh well, Kagome sighed. Might as well see what he picked out...

The girl turned around, her gaze coming to rest on Inuyasha. Her jaw dropped as she took in the sleek jogging pants, and a zip up red hoodie, which Inuyasha had completely left open, leaving his bare chest in plain view. Kagome's eyes traveled over the boy's toned muscles and remained completely oblivious to the full blown smirk currently taking up half the hanyou's face. He had shocked her and he damn well knew it. He had to choke back a laugh as he watched the girl openly stare at him.

"So, does this work?"

_Hell yes_, was the only response Kagome could think of. Finally registering the boy's arrogant smirk, Kagome shook herself out of awe. She coughed nervously, a blush staining her cheeks. "Um... yeah. I like it, it looks good." She quickly turned back to the rack of clothes next to her.

Inuyasha nodded, content with her reaction. _Mission Accomplished._ Tom Cruise, eat your heart out. Inuyasha smirked as he sauntered back to the dressing room, curious as to what Kagome's reaction to his next outfit would be.

Kagome absently passed over clothes, the image of an almost shirtless Inuyasha stuck in her head. Damn him, he did that on purpose! The bastard... a really hot bastard... GAH! She shook her head, trying to dismiss the path that her thoughts were going down. _Bad, bad, bad, bad, BAD Kagome._ Oh well, the boy knew how to pick his clothes.

"Higurashi?"

Kagome froze at the sound of another calm male voice entering her ears. _Oh no, not now._ If it was who she thought... Kagome turned around came face to face with exactly who she was dreading.

_Houjo. _

Kagome winced, but quickly covered it with a smile. "Houjo! What are you doing here?"

The boy smiled brightly. "Higurashi, it is you! It's so good to see you!"

Kagome nodded, praying for Inuyasha to get stuck in the dressing room, anything for her to stall and get rid of Houjo. Now don't get her wrong, Kagome liked Houjo- but in a strictly platonic way. Sure, he was sweet, cute, and very athletic... but he was kind of dull. There was something missing that Kagome yearned for… excitement and adventure. But if Houjo saw her with Inuyasha, rumors would fly and neither she nor Inuyasha would have a moment's peace for the next two weeks. Maybe she could direct him towards the nearest flower shop?

Houjo suddenly took Kagome's hands in his own, a blush on his cheeks. Alarm bells went off in Kagome's head, warning her to run like the wind. But of course, no one ever said Kagome was smart...

"Higurashi," Houjo stuttered, "Um, I was thinking about you the other day, and I haven't seen you in awhile... not since school let out. I was wondering if maybe you'd like to go to dinner and a movie with me?" His eyes shined hopefully, begging her to say yes.

Kagome choked, and tried to pull her hands away from Houjo. "Uh... that's very sweet of you Houjo, but I'm kind of busy..."

But Houjo wasn't smart either, and apparently he couldn't take a subtle hint. "We could go to the fair instead! It's later in the night, and it would give you time to finish whatever you're busy with! Ayami already said that you'd be willing to go with me. What time should I pick you up?" Houjo flashed the girl a dazzling smile, and Kagome felt a bit of guilt well up in her heart. She had said that a week ago... before she met Inuyasha...

"I'm really sorry Houjo, but I can't. I'm really quite busy." She once again tried to pluck her hand away from Houjo's grasp, but failed again.

A bit of the light had gone out of Houjo's eyes. "What are you busy with, Higurashi?"

Suddenly a rough male voice entered the conversation. "Oi, asshole. _Get your hands off her._" Inuyasha stepped forward, coming to stand directly next to Kagome.

Apparently, Inuyasha believed in intimidating appearances. Kagome gaped at his clothes. He had donned a pair of baggy black jeans, a loose chain hanging around one of his hips. A tight black tank top clung to his torso, and he had somehow gotten a pair of black biker gloves. Add to that his previous addition of the black bandana, and Inuyasha was the living embodiment of the word Badass. With a capital B.

The hanyou's golden eyes blazed, his silver hair offsetting his totally black outfit. He calmly pulled Kagome's hand out of the stunned Houjo's grasp, wrapping his arm around Kagome's waist, pulling the girl flush against him. He fixed his gaze on the impudent boy in front of him. "Kagome happens to be busy with me, bastard. So unfortunately she can't go out with you. _Ever_."

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Tada! enter Inuyasha, the badass. - so what will Houjo do? Will he fight for his right to Kagome? Or will he be a pansy and run away? Find out next time on the next episode of "Let Sleeping Dogs Lie". Erm... Don't mind me, it's currently 2 a.m. and I am waaay too hyper. So, leave a review if you can, and tell me what you think Houjo will or should do. I'm interested to hear your guys' opinions. Thanks for reading everyone! (I know Sango was supposed to come in this chapter, but I have another entrance planned for her, so no worries. And Shippo too. -) Ja ne, minna!

This time, you guys all get a black bandana like Inuyasha kick-ass one. Heh. _::hands bandanas out to everyone.::_


	5. Who ever said emotions make sense?

**Author Notey Thingy: **___bows in apology::_ Gomen-nasai minna-san!!!! Bah, it's been so long since I posted a new chapter. I'm very sorry, but real life decided that it didn't like me anymore. I had like this much free time, and that went for sleep. . Sorry. Anyways, WOOT! 296 reviews!!!! we're almost at the 300 mark! _::fireworks go off::_ I'm so excited. You guys really make my days great. School could suck _::kicks high school::_, but yet I come home, read your comments, and suddenly I wind up smiling. _::hugs everyone::_ I think I'm addicted to reviews. Thanks!! I really appreciate it.

Also, a few people called me Aurelia-san. heh, that was so cool. Thanks! _::gives them high fives::_ Alrighty, shoo! go read! .

On with the show!

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Chapter Five: Who Ever Said Emotions Make Sense?

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Silence reigned between the group, expressions varying on each person's face. Inuyasha had his attention completely focused on the boy in front of him. He narrowed his eyes, completely ignoring the halfhearted attempts Kagome was making to break away from his grasp. He wasn't entirely sure what had come over him, but he wasn't about to question it. This was _his_ time with Kagome, and he'd be damned before some twerp of a human boy got between them.

A slow smirk spread across his face as the hanyou watched fear enter Houjo's expression. The human was utterly confused, and beyond scared. _Keh. Served him right if-_

"Higurashi..." Houjo cut off Inuyasha's thought process, and the demon growled.

"Um..." _Crap. _Kagome shot a warning glance at Inuyasha. "Yes, Houjo?"

Inuyasha's grip tightened on the girl, and he continued to watch Houjo, waiting to hear if the boy's next words would be his last. '_Alright punk,'_ he thought, _'I dare you to ask her out again. I DARE you..'._ The hanyou's blood boiled, fierce possessiveness alive in his body. Just why was he doing this anyway?

Houjo cleared his throat, and a sudden light bulb almost seemed to go off over his head. "Higurashi!" His eyes were alight with realization as he looked from Inuyasha to Kagome. Houjo pointed at the hanyou. "This is your brother, isn't it Kagome? Souta, right? I always thought he was younger than you... of course, I've never actually met him. Odd hair color I might add." Houjo frowned slightly, but continued on. "Nice to meet you, Souta Higurashi! I'm glad I finally-"

"You are the biggest _moronic ass_ I have ever met in my entire life." Inuyasha spat. "I'm not Kagome's brother, I'm her-"

_WHAM! _

A sharp elbow caught Inuyasha in the gut, cutting off the rest of his sentence. Kagome slowly shook her head in a quick 'no,' turning her attention back to the human boy. The _weak_ pathetic excuse for a human boy... Inuyasha glared at said boy.

"Houjo..." Kagome sighed, wondering exactly she was supposed to do in a situation like this. "Houjo, this isn't my brother. This is my friend, Inuyasha."

Houjo looked a bit confused. "I've never seen him with you before... but that's ok!" His earlier happiness had returned, full force. "Anyways Higurashi, there's this festival tonight, and I would really like to take you-"

"Go the fuck AWAY, moron! You're not wanted here!" Inuyasha's anger had also returned- if it had ever really left. "Kagome's not going with you to some stupid festival, and she won't be anywhere with you, _period_." He grabbed Kagome's wrist. "C'mon. We're leaving."

In a bold act, Houjo plucked Kagome's hand from the hanyou's grasp, tugging her behind him. His gaze sharpened, and Houjo's calm and easy going nature began to turn to one of his rarer emotions: anger. "Look, you may be Higurashi's friend, but that doesn't give you the right to speak for her. I don't care if you don't want me to go out with her, it's her choice!"

Inuyasha clamped his fists shut, willing himself not to attack the boy. He had a point after all. It was Kagome's decision, not his. "_Fine_..." he ground out. "...Kagome?" He raised his eyes, locking his gaze with the flustered girl.

"Heh... heh… right…" Kagome stuttered, glancing between the two boys. _Great_, now she had to choose. She turned her gaze to Houjo: sweet, calm, ever polite... and a tad dull. Kagome smiled softly. The boy was great in his own way, but Kagome didn't really want to go out with him. He was better as a close friend. Although she'd have to talk to Yuki and the others... they seemed to be encouraging the poor boy a bit _too_ much, and they were giving him the wrong idea. Kagome just didn't like Houjo like that. For the life of her she couldn't figure out why, but she wasn't drawn to the brunette boy at all.

Then she turned her gaze to Inuyasha: rude, arrogant, extremely strong, some personal issues... but he was sweet when he wanted to be, and Kagome could tell he cared for her in some way. The dog demon had just suddenly appeared in her life, entering her thoughts and home as though he belonged there all along. In a strange way, it felt natural to have him around. Kagome shook her head, not willing to go down that path yet. It was still too confusing. She examined his appearance, the sharp demon characteristics giving him an unruly and dangerous appearance. His outfit of choice suited both his attitude and his looks. His muscles were taunt, almost in a panicked way. He seemed scared to hear her reply. Almost afraid... maybe that she would pick Houjo?

Kagome gave the hanyou a wink, making his expression change to slight shock. A small smile spread over his face. His tense muscles eased slightly, and he threw a confident smirk at Houjo, who seemed oblivious to it all.

"Houjo... I _really_ appreciate your offer to take me to the fair, but I'm really busy and-"

Another blindingly bright smile came forth from Houjo. "That's alright, Higurashi! If you're busy, maybe we could go tomorrow. Or maybe even next week! I don't mind waiting."

Kagome could only gape at the boy, and she winced as she felt the anger from Inuyasha roll off in nearly tangible waves. Oh, this was not good. Inuyasha + Anger someone gets beat down. She sighed. _Houjo, you idiot._

Inuyasha growled. Just how stupid was this kid anyways? Couldn't he take a hint? Kagome belonged with him, damnit, and-

Inuyasha gaped as Houjo wrapped his arm around Kagome's waist, slowly leading her towards the exit. He was chatting away about the festival, talking about how it continued for an entire week, and not to worry, they would have plenty of time to go. Kagome was riveted in shock and utterly confused as how to get away from Houjo without hurting his feelings.

Inuyasha growled again. Sometimes there was only one way to handle these situations. He cracked his knuckles, slowly following the boy and Kagome. This ...this _scum_ was blatantly ignoring his claim over Kagome, and he didn't even pay attention to Kagome's subtle hinting that she didn't want to be with the human jerk. Inuyasha snarled. The boy thought he could take Kagome away from him?

_Oh HELL no... _

"_Oi_." Inuyasha's voice rang out, deadly calm.

Houjo's mindless babble stopped, and he scowled. "You're still here? I'll take Higurashi home. With all the anger you have right now, I don't think it's safe for Higurashi to be around you. I don't care who you are, I'm taking her to the fair." The boy released Kagome, turning to face the hanyou. "Besides, you're not worth her time. You need to learn to control your temper."

Well, you had to give the boy credit. It takes guts to stand up to an enraged demon. _Too bad he'd have to die for it. _

Inuyasha slammed his fist into Houjo's face, knocking him out cold. The boy's body crumpled to the floor as Inuyasha looked on with a smirk. "Hmph..." He snorted. "All it took was one punch. He really _is_ weak."

"_Inuyasha_!" Kagome glared at the now satisfied demon. "I can't believe you- you... you just decked Houjo! He was only asking me out on a date! What right do you have-"

"Every right." Inuyasha's possessive gaze turned to Kagome, and the girl was startled at the flashing intensity of his golden eyes. "He ignored my claim, and you even told him you were busy. He brought it upon himself." Inuyasha snorted, giving the boy a small kick. "Moron..."

"Now wait-" Kagome was cut off as a shout rang out. Her head snapped around, focusing on a mall security officer. _Crap!_ She glanced at the unconscious Houjo, then back at mall security team. The officer was motioning for a few other officers to follow him, and they were quickly heading towards her and Inuyasha. They needed to get out of there fast. She panicked, quickly turning to the hanyou next to her. "Inuyasha!"

"Let's go." He scooped her up in arms, bounding past the confused officers.

Kagome tossed some money to the officers, shouting a quick "For the clothes!" as they ran past. The couple burst out the exit doors, into the warm air outside. Inuyasha paused, then took off again. Kagome's heart pounded, trying to straighten out her crazy thoughts. Houjo was unconscious, and she and Inuyasha were probably some sort of criminals now. When had her life turned so crazy? She sighed, resting her head against the solid wall of Inuyasha's chest. Her thoughts tumbled around inside her head, chasing each other in a twisted game of tag. She closed her eyes, trying to reach whatever sanity was left in her jumbled emotions. She snuggled closer to Inuyasha, hearing him give a satisfied rumble. She giggled, glancing up at his face. His golden gaze was straight ahead, concentrating on getting them to... wherever it was they were going. Kagome didn't really care at the moment. She studied his face, taking in his sharp features. The wind whipped his hair around, making it billow in crazy patterns- though the bandana stayed firmly in place.

Inuyasha felt Kagome's gaze on him, and he looked down into her smoky gray-blue eyes. She smiled, merely muttering a soft "Hey."

He found himself giving her a small smile in return. "Hey. You alright?"

She nodded, sighing again. "Yeah... my life is just so insane right now. But... it's sorta fun." She settled against him, closing her eyes.

Inuyasha ruefully shook his head. _Fun? Crazy girl..._ but she was his crazy girl. No stupid human was going to take her away. They could just... go do whatever, as long as it didn't involve Kagome. Inuyasha snorted. Ok, so maybe his logic wasn't the best, but he was aggravated, damnit! _Stupid human boy..._

Inuyasha landed his hasty journey in the shrine yard, carrying Kagome through the back door into the kitchen. He nudged the girl softly, as she seemed to be asleep. "Um, hey. We're here."

"Wha...?" Kagome blinked sleepily. "We're home? But don't we still need to pick up our food?"

Inuyasha froze. "Uh..." He set her back on her feet, holding her shoulder to steady her.

Kagome waved her hand absently. "Nah, we can just go back later. Don't worry about it." She took a step towards the hanyou, poking him. "What I want to know is why the hell you knocked out Houjo!"

Inuyasha growled slightly, using his height advantage to glare down at the girl. "Why should I explain it to you?"

Kagome stomped her foot. "Because I'm totally confused! Why were you so possessive? I don't like Houjo and I didn't want to go to the festival with him, but you didn't have to knock him out! Honestly, I just met you a few days ago, and now this, geez! This day has just been so-"

Inuyasha placed a finger to Kagome's lips, immediately silencing her tirade. He tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, trailing his hand along her jaw line. He smiled softly, pulling her closer to him. "Haven't you figured it out yet, little human? Something's happening here… between us…"

Kagome's eyes widened slightly, her attention totally focused on the hanyou. "But... but we barely even know each other and ... and..."

Inuyasha rubbed his thumb over the bare skin of her neck, making her shiver slightly. "So?" A low rumble came from him as he smiled. "Who ever said emotions make sense?"

"Yeah..." Kagome's gaze locked with Inuyasha's, and they slowly moved towards each other. Kagome's focus slipped to his lips, merely inches away...

And Miroku burst through the back door.

"Hey guys! What's - _WHOA!_ Umm..." he slowly backed into the doorway. "Sorry, am I interrupting something?" He smirked slightly. " I _knew_ you two liked each other!" He gave a small thumbs up sign. "I am so good!"

Inuyasha and Kagome were frozen inches away from each other, furious blushes staining their cheeks. Inuyasha's expression darkened, and he growled, slowly releasing Kagome. "Excuse me. I have to kill Miroku now..." He slowly turned his head to glare at the pony-tailed boy, snarling a warning.

"So... ah, I'll just be going then..." With a small exclamation of _'eep!'_ Miroku took off running for all he was worth.

Of course, Inuyasha took off right after him, screaming something to the sound of "Get back here you damn lecher! _You should bloody well knock next time!!!_"

Kagome shook her head, trying to cool her red cheeks. Inuyasha had almost kissed her! She was almost sad that he hadn't completed the action. She sighed, flopping down at a kitchen chair, resting her chin in her hands on the shiny new table. Who was she kidding? She really wished Miroku hadn't barged in... he was so close to kissing her!

A loud crash sounded from the yard, and Kagome quirked a questioning eyebrow. _What was going on out there? _Rising from her seat, Kagome walked outside to watch the commotion.

Inuyasha was chasing Miroku all over the yard in an all out brawl. The dark haired boy was dodging Inuyasha's claws, while at the same time trying to toss explanations over his shoulder.

"I _swear_ I didn't know! Why are you so worked up about this?"

A snarl came from Inuyasha. "Like _hell_ you didn't know! You have a sixth sense for these things! I bet you were just dying to interrupt, you goddamn son of a-"

Miroku dodged, tumbling on the ground to avoid another slash. "I didn't know! Besides, it was just one kiss! I bet you've kissed her a million times by now."

Inuyasha paused, blushing slightly. "For your information you perverted sack of stupid monk, I haven't laid a finger on her. Unlike you, I do posses some self control."

Miroku choked slightly. "You mean to tell me that you've been alone and living with her for two days _and you haven't even kissed her yet?_ What kind of stupid are you?"

Inuyasha scuffed a foot on the ground, looking for all the world like a reprimanded school boy. He mumbled something under his breath, blushing.

Miroku frowned, crossing his arms. "Could you repeat that a little louder? Not all of us have demon hearing you know."

Miroku heard a distinct mutter of "asshole" as Inuyasha copied Miroku's stance. "_I said_, I don't know if she feels the same way."

Miroku's jaw dropped. He gaped, and pointed dumbly in the general direction of the kitchen. "Dude, did you not see her like two minutes ago? She totally likes you! Besides," he polished his nails slightly, "I am a master of detecting such things."

Inuyasha growled. "Which is exactly why I think you interrupted on purpose! And it's more complicated than that!" he snapped. "You don't just kiss someone and add _'hey do you like me?'_ as an afterthought." He paused. "Well, _you_ might, but that's not the point! And what the hell are you staring at..."

Inuyasha turned to look over his shoulder where Miroku's gaze was riveted. His eyes widened as he saw Kagome standing by the door, looking a little shocked. A sheepish smile graced her lips, and she waved. "Uh, hey guys."

Inuyasha blushed. _Damnit! Did she hear everything?_ By the look on her face, he was gonna go with a big yes. He panicked, and did what he normally did in a romantically complicated situation.

Ran like there was no tomorrow.

With a few bounds, he was away from the shrine, running down the street as a black and white blur. Kagome stared after him in shock. "He... _wha_... gone..." She pointed dumbly after him.

Miroku sighed, and brushed the dirt off his clothes. "Yeah," he sighed. "Gone. Let's go catch ourselves a half dog demon." He walked past Kagome towards his car, which was currently parked in front of the shrine. "You coming, Kagome?"

"Uh, yeah!" Kagome blinked, then caught up with the dark haired boy. "So, does he do that a lot?"

Miroku snorted. "Sort of. When he doesn't know how to deal with a situation, he bolts. No common decency, honestly. I try to have a serious conversation with him, _but no_, all you get is a vacant expression, or the dust he leaves behind." Miroku gave a long suffering sigh, and rubbed his forehead. "Moron."

Kagome paused as they reached the other boy's car. "Really Miroku… _purple_?"

Miroku grinned. "Favorite color."

Kagome shrugged, and plopped down in the passenger side of the car. "So where do you think he went to?"

Miroku started the engine, tossing a knowing smile to Kagome. "Trees. Really, really, _big_ trees. Got any national forests around here?"

Kagome smiled. "Take the next right."

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Inuyasha sighed, staring absently out into the horizon. He was struck by an odd sense of deja-vu, but he brushed it aside. What the hell was up with him today? Getting all possessive over one simple girl- one he barely even knew for crying out loud! And then he went and tried to kiss her... stupid Miroku and his lecher self. Couldn't he have waited five more minutes? _Keh. No, of course not._ Fate was against him. It was always like that. Have a few things go your way, and then Armageddon comes out of nowhere. Well, it wasn't that bad yet, but he could feel it. A shudder passed through his entire body. Something bad was going to happen, but he didn't know what...

His claws absently shredded the bark beneath his fingers. He wasn't quite sure why he looked for solace in the height of trees, but it always seemed to soothe him. It was his one stronghold in his crazy life; his anchor to reality. Though reality seemed to be slipping up lately.

Ok, time for a quick checklist of his life. He was missing some of his memories(thanks to the wonderful bitch known as Kikyo) he had been turned into a full fledged dog at least twice, he was currently residing with a girl he barely knew, and he seemed to be falling in… He shook his head. No, he just kinda liked her. Yeah… He growled and continued on. Miroku was here, (god knows how the boy had found him) and he had beat down one of Kagome's friends. A small quirk tugged at the corners of his mouth. Yeah, giving that Houjo wimp what he deserved had felt really good. _That'll teach the moron to mess with his girl... _

GAH!

There it was again. The possessiveness of Kagome. _Why?!_ What the hell were all these crazy emotions tumbling around in him for? He sighed, passing a hand over his face. How had he managed to fall for Kagome so fast? It was all wrong, too little time... strange situations could do that to a person. Make you feel emotions that weren't true, adding sentimental value to meaningless things. But the question was, did he seriously like Kagome, or was he making this out to be more than what it was?

Only fate knew the answer to this, and time would soon reveal the answer. But would he be satisfied with whatever fate had planned for him?

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"So Miroku, how'd that date last night go?"

The car took a violent swerve, almost colliding with a passing car. Kagome grasped the dashboard tightly, sending a wry look towards the boy next to her. "That bad, huh?"

Miroku's knuckles were white, encasing the steering wheel in a death grip. He gave a terse reply of "_No_."

Kagome snorted in disbelief. "Right. Now stop gripping the steering wheel like it's a lifeline."

Miroku blinked, looking down at his death grip on the wheel. He sighed, and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry," he eased some of the tension out of his fingers, making his hands return to their normal color. "Well, the date wasn't bad... per se. It was definitely different though." He shook her head. "Kouga, the friend I'm staying with- and his girlfriend Ayame had a great time. That left me with Ayame's friend." His eyes took on a hazy quality, and Kagome shot the boy an odd look. "She was _gorgeous_. Dark hair, pink eye shadow, great body..." Kagome coughed, and Miroku shook his head. "Anyway, about halfway through the date-"

"_There he is!_" Kagome shouted suddenly, pointing out ahead. Sure enough, the figure of Inuyasha could barely be seen in a high treetop. That is of course, if one was looking for him. Apparently the guess of the national forest had been correct. And boy, he was really high up in the tree!

Miroku brought the car to a screeching halt near Inuyasha's tree, shooting Kagome a glare. "You didn't have to shout, you know."

But Kagome wasn't paying attention- she was already jumping out of the car, racing to the tree where Inuyasha was calmly sitting. She squinted through the branches, just barely able to see him up above. _Damn, why did he have to go so high?_

"Hey Inuyasha?" She paused, waiting for an answer. She waited, tapping her foot impatiently. Maybe he didn't hear her? She tried again, raising her voice. "_Inuyasha?_" She waited again, peering up into the branches. She couldn't even catch a glimpse of him now, so maybe he had left. She was about to call out again, but a rough male voice rang out from above.

"...Go away."

Kagome jerked, glaring up at where she thought Inuyasha was sitting. "Inuyasha, come on. Let's just go home, ok?"

A dry laugh descended down the tree, irritating Kagome. The hanyou's hollow voice only muttered a defeated "Leave me alone."

Kagome crossed her arms, still glaring. "No way. Now come down from that stupid tree." She waited. "Inuyasha?" Another pause, with no response. Kagome growled. "_Damnit_." Pushing her sleeves up her arms, she took a good look at the trunk of the tree in front of her. Well, it wouldn't be impossible to climb, but it would tough. She rubbed her hands together, searching for a handhold in the trunk. Slowly, she began to climb upwards to Inuyasha.

A surprised sound came from above. "What are you doing?"

"Climbing. What's it look like?" Kagome winced as her hand scraped against the bark, but she continued on anyway. "Ouch. Got any more bright questions, Einstein?"

She heard a sound suspiciously like 'Keh' and grinned ruefully. She continued to climb, trying to make her way towards the stubborn hanyou. "Come on Inuyasha. Won't you at least talk to me?"

Only silence met her question, and Kagome's anger rose. _Why was he being so difficult?_ _Damn him and his stubbornness!_ She climbed further, scraping her knees and the palms of her hands against the rough bark. She was getting torn up, but he was going to talk to her! She yelped as a piece of sharp bark dug against a fresh cut in her hand, and she squeezed her eyes shut against the pain. Just how high up was she, anyways? She slowly dropped her gaze to the ground, which was really quite far down. She hadn't really been keeping track of her progress, and she was way higher than she'd like to be. A sudden panic of falling kicked in, and Kagome tightly shut her eyes, afraid. "Oh god... _please_ don't let me fall." A frightened plea was sent heavenward as Kagome clutched the tree desperately.

"You should have just left. Silly girl..."

Kagome's muscles tensed, registering the close proximity of the hanyou's voice. _Oh, he had finally decided to talk to her, had he?_ Nice to know he wanted to say something before she fell to her death! Kagome refused to open her eyes, not moving an inch. "Shut up Inuyasha."

"Kagome."

Kagome ignored the hanyou, imitating his earlier actions without realizing it.

"_Kagome_. Look at me."

"No!" She clutched desperately to the tree, suddenly deathly afraid. "I'm going to fall!" she laughed bitterly. "I am such an idiot, thinking that I could just follow you up here."

A warm hand covered her own, and Kagome looked up, suddenly surprised. A soft golden gaze met her own, and Inuyasha looked concerned. "Kagome, let go."

"What?!" Her shriek pierced the air, and Inuyasha winced at the sharp noise. His statement only made her grasp the tree tighter. "Are you trying to kill me?"

A small smile crept across the hanyou's face. "Not likely. I don't usually try to kill the people I like. Give me your hand."

Kagome looked doubtful, but hesitantly grasped the hand that covered her own. Inuyasha smiled. "Good, now the other hand."

Kagome hesitated again, but after a moment, she closed her eyes and firmly grasped his hand with her own. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for Inuyasha to drop her. After a moment, she cracked an eye open. Inuyasha was smiling in amusement, silently mocking her. Was she dead? She fully opened her eyes, noticing Inuyasha had pulled her up to the branch where he had been sitting. She flushed in embarrassment. "Uh... thanks."

Inuyasha sighed. "You wanted to talk?"

Kagome nodded firmly. "Definitely. There's a few things we need to need to straighten out."

Inuyasha plopped down on the sturdy branch, resting his back against the trunk. "Sit."

"What? Up here? _No way_, I am not si-"

"OI!" Inuyasha yelled, cutting her off in mid-sentence. He frowned at her in annoyance. "Don't say _'sit'_! Or have you forgotten what happened last time? I'd rather not try to climb down a tree as a dog." He shook his head, adding a "Bitch," for effect.

Kagome glared at him, slowly sitting down on the tree branch. Inuyasha gave her a dry look, quirking an eye at the space she had attempted to put between them. "You know I don't bite..." He reconsidered, flashing his fangs, "..._much_." He smirked.

Kagome rolled her eyes, scooting closer to the hanyou. "Happy?" He nodded and she sighed. "Ok. Right... first of all, no more knocking my friends unconscious!"

Inuyasha raised a skeptical eyebrow, and Kagome glared. He rolled his eyes in response. "Fine. As long as they don't try to seriously hit on you. I cannot be held responsible for my actions after that."

Kagome glared, and poked Inuyasha. "Yeah, about that- why are you suddenly so possessive, huh? What gives you the right to say who I can go out with, or whatever? You're not my boyfriend, and so-"

"I know." A low grumble cut her off, and he imitated her voice sarcastically-"I'm your _'friend'_. At least that's what you told Houjo. What am I to you, Kagome? You heard my talk with Miroku. I like you." He averted his gaze, glaring out into the horizon beyond. "I like you a lot. God knows why..." He smirked to ease her glare, but then frowned. "But what do you feel for me?"

Kagome stuttered, a bit confused at the sudden change of topic. "Well..." _What should I say?_ Her thoughts were swirling in crazy patterns again, and her head was starting to hurt. She took a deep breath, trying to clear her mind. _Just tell him the truth, and go from there. Don't worry about your pride right now… if it gets shot to hell, then so be it._ " I ..." She concentrated on the bark on the tree branch, fiddling with the hem of her shirt. She sighed. "I like you a lot, too Inuyasha." She looked up, and flashed him a genuine smile. "You can be rude, arrogant, and a selfish bastard," Inuyasha gave an indignant snort at this, "But I really like you. Honestly. You're really interesting, and you can be sweet if you try. And I just like to be around you. It doesn't make any sense, but I feel like I've known you forever."

Inuyasha's face was a schooled mask of nonchalance. "Do you care that I'm a hanyou? Does it scare you? Disgust you?"

Kagome smiled. "Nope. If anything, I think it kicks ass. Otherwise, it doesn't really matter to me. It's part of what makes you who you are. Inuyasha, the half dog demon- the guy I'm starting to like." Kagome reached behind his head, untying the bandana and tugging it free. His ears popped up, an expression of relief conquering his features. Kagome gently rubbed one of his ears. "I like you for who you are, Inuyasha. Cute dog ears and all."

Inuyasha's eyes slid closed and he leaned into her touch, murmuring a soft "thank you." He had to forcefully pull her hand away from his ears, blushing slightly. He cleared his throat, averting his gaze. "You shouldn't really do that right now." He coughed lightly, but Kagome just looked confused.

Inuyasha stood, offering his hand to Kagome. "Ready to go?"

Kagome smiled, readily accepting his hand. "Very much so." Inuyasha pulled her to her feet, though he kept her hand held in his. He stared into her eyes, wishing that he could put his emotions into words. He merely smiled, earning a grin from the girl in return. "Thanks Kagome."

From down below, Miroku looked on in annoyance. Getting impatient, he decided to yell a suggestion to his hanyou friend. "_For the love of god_, kiss her already!"

Inuyasha scowled, flipping Miroku off. Kagome laughed, rolling her eyes. "Come on Inuyasha." She tugged at his hand. "Let's go home."

He smiled, scooping Kagome up in his arms. "Yeah. Let's go home." Grinning, he took a flying leap off the branch, making Kagome gasp in surprise. _Feh_. Girls were so easy to scare. He laughed, landing safely on the ground as Kagome repeatedly called him a baka.

---------

In another part of the city, Houjo stumbled wearily away from the Tokyo mall. He had a splitting headache, and his vision was slightly fuzzy. Apparently he had been knocked out by Higurashi's friend… Inuyasha or whoever. And well, that was a bit rude.

Houjo continued to walk on, swerving slightly, unable to walk in a straight line. He glanced up, and saw a girl walking toward him. In fact, Houjo squinted… she looked just like Kagome! Houjo waved, "Hey, Higurashi!"

The girl looked confused, frowning at him. As Houjo neared the girl, he realized that this girl's hair was different, and her eyes were brown. This wasn't Kagome, this was someone completely different! The similarity was uncanny though. Houjo blushed sheepishly, bowing in apology. "Sorry, miss. I mistook you for a friend of mine. I'm sorry."

The girl nodded coolly, inspecting the boy. Houjo fidgeting under her gaze. Something about this girl was a little off… he got a weird feeling from her. The girl nodded as though she approved. "Have you seen a boy with white hair around here? His name is Inuyasha."

Houjo scowled. "Yeah, I've seen him. He punched me! He's so possessive of Higurashi. I don't why, Higurashi said they were only friends." He glared at the girl. "Why? Are you a friend of his?"

"Not exactly. I just need to find him. Do you know where he's staying?" The girl stood, looking completely unruffled and uncaring to the world.

Houjo looked at the girl cautiously. "Well, I'm not sure. But I bet Higurashi could tell you. She lives at the Sunset Shrine, about a mile that way." He pointed towards the shrine, and flashed a smile. "I'm sure she could help you out."

The girl walked past him, continuing at a steady pace. "Thanks."

Houjo stared at her in confusion. "Hey!" The girl stopped. "What's your name?"

The girl looked over her shoulder, her ice cold gaze sending a shiver through Houjo. "My name is Kikyo."

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Hooo, boy! _::cackles evilly::_ let the plot twists begin! The story line should pick up from here on out, so buckle your seat belts kids! Thanks to everyone who's reading- I hope you're liking the story so far! Oh, and does anyone know how to get a good mailing list? I want to start one for "Let Sleeping Dogs Lie" since some people have asked me to email them when I update. Any comments are appreciated, thanks guys!

::gives everyone a mini Goshinboku tree, just cause trees are cool.:: Ja, minna-san. Thanks for reading!


	6. Beatdown in the Alleyway

**Author Note:** _::takes deep breath::_

I LIVE!!!!!!!!

Ahem. Yes, I know I have a habit of disappearing. I had finals, and I blame my ps2. _::points accusingly::_ FFX is addicting, damnit! Anyways, other then that, I've been in a writing slump. I'm not sure why I was, but I feel like I'm back to my old self again.(yay!) The point is, there's a new chapter! _::does happy dance::_ Gomen for the delay minna-san. _::dodges blunt objects::_

Oh yeah, R.T. Jose pointed out that Kagome has brown eyes. She does, but _only in the anime._ In the _**manga**_, she has blue-gray eyes, and I like her that way better. Thanks for pointing it out anyways though.

Go, my minions! _::laughs::_ Sorry, sleep deprivation. Enjoy!

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Chapter Six: Beat down in the Alleyway

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Miroku, Inuyasha, and Kagome were all in Miroku's car, heading back to Kagome's house. Inuyasha and Miroku were up front, with the owner of the car driving. (He had spent a good five minutes fiercely denying letting either of his friends drive, saying he would never put his "baby's" safety at risk like that. Apparently, Miroku liked his purple car.) Kagome had slipped off into a quiet nap in the back seat, and the two male companions had decided to take the main road leading back through the city in order to get back to the shrine.

The two sat in companionable silence, lost in their own thoughts. An unknown tune from the radio played softly in the background, and Inuyasha stared out into the city which had become his new home. Were any of the people aware that a hanyou resided in their midst? His friends did, obviously. But just how many other demons made their home in Tokyo? He had felt the faint twinge of awareness in his spine every time he had passed by a fellow demon, but there weren't that many that he had felt so far. It was amazing how easily the youkai slipped unnoticed into the human's world. It seemed like most demons had given up the legendary thirst for power and blood, choosing to succeed in the human world instead. Inuyasha turned, and sent a soft glance at the girl in the back seat.

_Yes, humans were very entrancing creatures._ Their ways were gentler, and love came to many of them easily. Love for Kagome was like a second nature. But could he do that? Would he be able accept and return the care of such a wonderful girl? He stared back out the window resolutely. _'I can make her happy,'_ he chanted in his head. But doubts lurked in the corners of his mind. Inuyasha had already come close to hurting Kagome a few times, and that hadn't even been in his... other form. What if he lost his control? What if... what if that other form turned on Kagome? What if he-

_'Stop it', _he growled mentally. He told the darker side of his thoughts to shut the hell up, and continued his vigil on the quickly passing city.

"_Crap!_ MIROKU, WE HAVE TO GO TO KAEDE'S!!!"

The car took a violent swerve and Miroku hastily tried to regain control of the wheel while Inuyasha yelped and held on for dear life. Kagome had apparently woken up, making her request to go back to Kaede's store loud and clear. As Miroku began to drive in a straight line again, Inuyasha shot a dark look at Kagome. "For the love of god, woman! You could have killed us all!"

Kagome snorted. "I trust that Miroku has better driving skills than that. Besides, you're a hanyou, you'd save us."

Inuyasha gaped at the girl, dumbfounded by her apparent and unwavering trust in him that she so casually stated. "Uh..."

Kagome winked. "You're right Inuyasha. Sorry you guys, didn't mean to shock the hell out of you. But can we please go to Kaede's store? My house is in serious lack of food, and all the groceries I bought are still there."

Miroku sighed, and mumbled a few words of encouragement to his car. "Sure Kagome. But only if I get to join dinner tonight, free of charge. " He grinned.

"Of course you can, idiot." Kagome bopped Miroku over the head playfully, rolling her eyes. "Like you'd leave without eating anyways."

Miroku voiced a sound of indignation, and Inuyasha let loose a short bark of laughter. "She's right you know! You mooch off of everyone you can. Not to mention your lecherous ways towards girls." Inuyasha smirked at his friend.

"Hey!" Miroku tried to argue, while still paying attention to traffic. Luckily, there weren't many people on the road at that moment. "I am not a moocher. At least, not really. Besides Inuyasha, you're staying with Kagome free of charge. What right do you have to talk? I'd say _you_ were the moocher."

Inuyasha stuttered. "I- well...yeah, but..."

"How do you plan to repay Kagome, hmmm? Or did the thought even cross your mind, Inuyasha?" Miroku was slowly beginning to smirk in victory.

Inuyasha's temper flared up. "Now wait a minute! What kind of... demon do you think I am? I mean, god, I'm not THAT rude! Of course I'm going to-"

A sly smile crossed Kagome's features. "Hey Miroku, what makes you think Inuyasha hasn't paid me back already?"

The two males paused bickering. "Huh?"

Miroku arched an eyebrow in question. "Well, how has he repaid you then?"

Kagome flashed a seductive grin. "By lending me his services, of course."

Miroku's eyes widened. "Services? What do you mean?"

Inuyasha sat in his seat, shocked. No way could he be interpreting Kagome's words right. No, it was just his mind playing tricks on him. Yeah, that's it.

Kagome winked. "Well, what kind of 'service' do you think I would want, Miroku?"

The poor pony-tailed boy prayed to heaven above that he wasn't getting a nosebleed. "You two slept together?!?!?"

At this, silence rang true in the car. After a moment, all the laughter that Kagome had been holding back burst out, as she gave into full fledged peals of laughter. Inuyasha face was beet red, and he smacked Miroku. "I don't subscribe to your brand of perverted ways." He glared and growled at Miroku. "Bastard." Crossing his arms, he sulked in his seat.

As Kagome's laughter continued, Miroku looked confused. After turning down a side street to take a short cut to Kaede's, he cast an incredulous look at Kagome. "Well if you're not sleeping together, what kind of 'service' is he giving you?"

Kagome choked down her laughter as Inuyasha's face turned a deeper shade of red, and distinctive growling could be heard. "Miroku, I was only kidding. Besides, Inuyasha's helped me out a bunch so far. It's only been a few days anyways. He's taken me shopping, and he helps with stuff that I could never even dream of doing. Like in Walmart, when he picked up the kitchen table with one hand. I didn't even have to get a shopping cart! He also assembled it for me. Pretty handy, let me tell you."

Miroku gave a long suffering sigh and turned back to the road. Inuyasha snorted. "Yeah, and I still have to kick your ass for beating me in Mario Kart, bitch."

Kagome merely laughed, giving a warm smile to the grumpy hanyou. "Dream on, dog boy."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help returning a small smile. As he turned back to staring out the window, he thought on Kagome's last words. She had said "dog boy," but for some reason, it hadn't really offended him. Normally anyone who insulted or made fun of him because of his dog demon nature would be pounded in seconds. But Kagome... he knew she was only kidding around, and "dog boy" had almost seemed like a term of endearment from the way she had said it. Inuyasha smirked. _And she had said his ears were cute. _Speaking of which, where was his bandana? Oh right... Kagome had pulled it off in the tree. Oh well, he'd just wait in the car while she got the groceries. He didn't want to reveal his demon nature for the millionth time that day. Not that Kagome actually seemed to mind...

Her voice intruded his thoughts. "What are _you _smiling about?"

He turned his head to face her inquiry, sending her a smile. "Nothing."

Kagome put her chin in her hand, studying the hanyou's face. "I'll bet." Looking out her own window, she frowned. "What in the world… Miroku, stop the car!"

"What?" Miroku slammed on the breaks, bringing the car to a screeching halt. "What's going on?"

Kagome pushed open the car door, and jumped out. "Some little kid's getting beaten up. Come on, we have to go help him!" Not wasting any time, Kagome raced towards the fight.

"Damn girl!" Looking beyond the racing Kagome, Inuyasha could tell that the "little kid" was actually a young demon, which meant that the people attacking him were probably demons too. _Damnit!_ Kagome was no match for demons at all. Why did she just rush into things like this?!

Pushing the door open, Inuyasha moved to get out, but a call from Miroku stopped him. "Inuyasha, wait! You don't have a way to cover up your ears! They'll be able to tell you're a demon!"

Inuyasha grinned, showing off his pointy fangs. "Good. They're probably demons too, and I've been looking for a good fight all day." Smirking, he ran off to join Kagome.

Sighing, Miroku shut the car off, and pocketed the keys. Automatically locking the doors, he ran after his two friends, shaking his head. "The things I get myself into..."

"Let him go, you bastards!"

Kagome had just reached the fight, where two men were beating a little boy. Or so it seemed. The little boy had a fox tail and pointed, elflike ears, and was valiantly trying to defend himself with an odd blue flame. _The kid was a little youkai!_ As her eyes widened, Kagome quickly searched the two men's faces, looking for demon qualities. Sure enough, both had the ears, and strangely enough, Kagome got a slight chill down her spine when she was near them. Somehow, she could just _feel_ that all three of these people were youkai.

Inuyasha appeared at her side. "Hey, that's my line," he growled. Pushing Kagome behind him, he faced the two men. "What the hell is going on?"

An anguished cry arose from the little boy. "Please! Help meeeeee!"

One of the men, the one with a long black braid, gave the kid a swift kick. "Shut up, brat! We're not through with you yet!"

Growling, the kid launched himself at the man's leg, sinking his teeth into it. The man let loose a sharp cry of pain, flinging the kid back into the ground. "Stay down!"

The other man, who was pretty much bald, let loose a terrible laugh. "Show them how it's done, older brother. Teach that brat respect, Hiten!"

The guy with the braid, Hiten, smirked at his apparently younger brother. "Don't worry Manten, I will."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Right. Whatever. Why are you beating up the brat?"

Manten jumped forward, a fierce expression on his ugly face. "Hey you punk, don't talk to us that way! Don't you know who we are?"

Inuyasha snorted, briefly glancing behind him to make sure Kagome was still behind him. _Good_, she was. Sighing, he turned back to the ugly brute in front of him. "No, I don't know who you are. Why should I care?"

Manten gave a cry of outrage. "We are the legendary Thunder Brothers, striking fear into all those that dare cross our path!" He gave a bellowing laugh, and slapped his brother Hiten on the back. "Nothing will ever get in our way."

Hiten rolled his eyes at his brother's antics, and faced Inuyasha. "Not that it's any of your business, _hanyou_," his eyes flickered to the top of Inuyasha's head. "But the brat's parents owed us some serious cash. We gave them plenty of opportunities to repay us, but they never did. The final straw was when they tried to file harassment charges against us. Needless to say, they never got the chance." Hiten grinned, flashing his fangs dangerously.

Kagome peeked out from behind her demon protector, meekly addressing the other demon. "What...what happened to them?"

Inuyasha shot Kagome a look, warning her to shut up and keep out of sight, but she didn't notice.

Hiten gave a wicked laugh, pointing to the other end of the dark alley. "Well, if you want to see what's left of them, just look down there." The Thunder Brothers joined together in sadistic laughter.

Kagome gasped. "You killed them? How _could_ you? Just because they owed you some money..."

Suddenly, the little boy shouted from his battered position on the ground. "That's a lie! my parents paid back every cent you gave them, and more! You're just a bunch of murdering thieves!!" Inuyasha noted the kid's ears and tail, registering the fact that the boy was a young kitsune. The boy had a good set of lungs on him too. His yell made Inuyasha's ears flatten against his skull.

"I said _shut up_!" Hiten screamed at the boy, throwing a sudden bolt of electricity at the kitsune, making him cry out in pain.

"You bastards," Inuyasha growled. "He's just a brat, leave him the hell alone."

"Or what," Hiten sneered. "You'll stop me?"

"Damn right I will."

Suddenly Kagome shot out from behind Inuyasha, between the two Thunder Brothers, and picked up the injured kitsune. Tears shone in her eyes, doubled with the fierce hate she now held towards the Thunder Brothers. "You jerks! How could you do something like this? He's just a kid, leave him alone!" She cradled the kit in her arms, the very essence of her stance radiating defiance and protectiveness. Seeing the young kitsune helpless, afraid, and wounded had awoken something in her. She wasn't sure what was going on, but a new strength was raging through her blood, lending her the courage to stand up to the two fierce demons.

"Kagome, get back here!" Inuyasha yelled at the girl, trying to hide his current distress, but failing miserably. _What was she thinking?!_ She had just thrown herself right in the way of imminent danger. Protecting the kit was brave, sure. But going up against demons by herself- that was pure stupidity!

Hiten gave the girl a quick once over, while his younger brother's eyes greedily roved her figure. Hiten snorted. "Nice bitch, Inuyasha. Figures you'd be into human women. She's got a great body, though. Mind if I take her for a ride?"

That was when Inuyasha reached his breaking point. If that bastard even DARED to touch Kagome... Inuyasha let loose a fierce snarl. "Shut the _FUCK_ up!" Cracking his knuckles, Inuyasha launched himself at Hiten. He landed a surprise punch to the boy's jaw, but that was the only freebie he got. After that, the two demons flew into a furry of fists and snarls.

Kagome gaped at the fight. Inuyasha was pissed, as simple as that. But Hiten... he had insulted her, not Inuyasha. Well, he had insulted them both, but it was Hiten's comment about Kagome that had really pushed Inuyasha over the edge. He really was protective of her, wasn't he? Kagome caught movement in the corner of her vision and whirled around, letting out a startled gasp.

Inuyasha had failed to remember one small detail; while he was fighting Hiten, that left Manten free to do whatever he wanted. Rather than attack Inuyasha from behind, he chose instead to advance towards Kagome.

"Such a beautiful girl..." he whispered. A dark flame was alight in the demon's eyes, speaking of pain and torture for the girl. Kagome backed up a step or two, running into a brick wall that encased the alley. A panicked fear began to take hold of her, and she quickly glanced towards the fight. "Inuyasha..." she whispered.

Sensing her distress, the kit began to stir in her arms. Manten made his way steadily towards the girl, the odd look still ablaze in his eyes. Anger grew in Kagome's mind, and her eyes sharpened on the advancing demon. If not for her sake, she had to protect the kit! The kitsune gave a weak cry, burrowing closer to Kagome's warmth. "_Momma_..." a plead from the kitsune that pierced Kagome's heart.

Now she was _brilliantly_ pissed. How dare this monster kill this kit's parents! He had no right, and he was nothing but a murderer! Well, Kagome would set that right. Flames of anger raced through her entire body, fueling her desire to protect the kitsune, and make the bastard in front of her pay.

Manten had stopped a mere two feet in front of Kagome, grinning sadistically. He licked his lips, his eyes landing on the kitsune. "Give me the brat, and maybe I'll make this easier on you, girl."

Kagome gave an almost Inuyasha-like snarl, slapping away the hand that had reached towards her and the kitsune. "Don't touch me! I'd rather _die_ before I give this poor boy to you, you bastard!"

Anger joined the emotions in the demons eyes as he snarled at the girl. "Fine... I can easily kill you. You and the kitsune!" His fist reeled back, sizzling with a bright electric power.

"_No_!" Kagome screamed. She threw her arm up in defense, her palm directly in front of Manten's face. "Just leave us alone!" She squeezed her eyes shut as anger and self defense joined together in one all consuming emotion. "_LEAVE… US… ALONE!_"

Suddenly, a brilliant pink light erupted from Kagome's palm, streaking towards the demon in front of her. The light smashed into Manten's face, throwing him against the opposite wall Kagome was backed against. He lay stunned for a moment, staring at Kagome. His entire face was mangled, and the few hairs he had on top of his head were gone.

Kagome glared at Manten, but her energy seemed to suddenly disappear. She slumped forward, landing on her kneels as she cradled the kit close to her body. Her vision was hazy, and she was extremely dizzy. What had she done? Where had that power come from? What _was_ she, anyways?

Hiten and Inuyasha had stopped their furious fight to gape in shock at Kagome. Hiten snarled, landing a direct punch to Inuyasha's stomach. "_Fuck_, hanyou! You've got a miko on your side! You bastard, look what she did to my brother!"

Inuyasha grinned, spitting a bit of blood off to the side. "Yeah, that's my Kagome."

The girl in question was still trying to regain her bearings, but Manten was already up and shakily making his way towards her. His breath was labored, and his face was unrecognizable. Blood splattered his clothes, but his eyes were furious. "You... _bitch_..." He gasped. "I'm gonna tear you apart!!" He lunged towards the weakened girl, fully intent on killing her.

Kagome tried to summon the power that had protected her before, but she was exhausted. She closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around the kit in protection. "Someone... help..."

"_Don't touch her!_" Miroku chose that moment to join the melee. He landed a punch to Manten's already busted face, sending the demon reeling. "Don't you dare touch my friend!" He took up a protective stance in front of the girl, sending a calm smile to reassure her. "You alright there, Kagome? You really smashed his face!"

Kagome laughed weakly. "Yeah... thanks Miroku." She smiled softly, stroking the kit's fur for comfort.

"God damn you! You pathetic humans! Why can't you just _die_?!" Manten unwisely chose to dive at Miroku, who was ready and waiting. With a few punches, and a kick to the head, Manten was out cold. Miroku glared at the fallen demon. "That's what you get, you bastard. Trying to mess with _my_ friends... ha. Yeah right." Miroku made his way back to Kagome, helping the girl to shakily stand on her feet. She held onto his shoulder for support, and he wrapped an arm around her waist to help her stand. At her accusing look, he grinned sheepishly. "Nothing perverted this time Kagome, I swear. I just want to help."

Smiling in acceptance, Kagome leaned on the boy for support. A sudden scream ripped their attention back to Inuyasha and Hiten's fight. Kagome gasped in horror, staring at the sight before her. "Oh my god..."

Hiten had punched his fist straight through Inuyasha's stomach, holding the hanyou up in the air. Hiten's fist sparked with electric energy, and Inuyasha choked in pain. "Inuyasha!!!!" Kagome's cry reached the hanyou's sensitive ears, and he painfully turned his head to look at the girl. She looked really weak, and was relying on Miroku for support. But her sole attention was focused on him at the moment, her eyes shining with tears and concern for his welfare. "Kagome..."

Hiten sneered. "Aw, look at your pathetic woman, Inuyasha. Look at how weak she is. All because _you_ couldn't protect her. Well, once I finish you off, who's gonna protect her from me? That boy over there? Not likely." Hiten gave a cruel laugh, twisting his arm in Inuyasha, making the demon cry out in pain. "And there's no way you can stop me, _hanyou_."

A low growl came from Inuyasha, as his vision swam in and out of focus. "My name..." he growled, clenching his fists, "Is Inuyasha!" With a scream of rage, Inuyasha pulled his head back, slamming his forehead into Hiten's.

The full demon was thrown back a few feet, slumping on the ground. Inuyasha fell to his knees, one arm braced against the ground for support, the other clutching the wound through his stomach. He shakily got to his feet, smirking at Hiten. "No way to stop you? Just watch me." In a flurry of punches and kicks, Inuyasha tore into Hiten for all he was worth. He _knew_ what was starting to happen to him. He could feel the familiar itching where the lines were beginning to show on his face. He _knew_ that his other side was beginning to show itself, but he didn't care. All that mattered was stopping Hiten and protecting Kagome. _Nothing else mattered._

As Inuyasha pulled the injured demon up from the ground, he pulled his fist back and paused. His gaze flickered quickly from Kagome back to Hiten, and he smirked at the demon. In a low growl, he warned him, "Don't ever threaten Kagome again. After all, she's the only reason I'm going to let you live today. I really don't think she'd approve if I killed you."

Hiten spat on the hanyou. "Like you could... I'll be back for her, you know."

Inuyasha grinned. "I dare you to try. I promise you won't survive that encounter." He forcefully kneed Hiten in the stomach, effectively knocking the demon out. Smirking in victory, he turned to Kagome and Miroku- he was totally oblivious to the blood that stained his hands and clothes; some of which was his own, the rest not. "So..." he stated with a cruel grin. "Shall we go?"

Kagome stared at Inuyasha. _Something was wrong..._ Inuyasha was... _wrong_. He was bloodthirsty, and seemed eager to deal out pain. What had happened? Kagome gasped as she looked at his face. Stripes raced across the sides of his cheeks, and his eyes... they were red, with only the barest trace of gold in the center. Something was seriously wrong...

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Inuyasha's demon form shows itself! What ever shall they do? _::cracks knuckles:: _ Let's see how much turmoil I can add into their lives, shall I? Don't worry, there's plenty of fluff up ahead( I can't help myself- I luff teh fluff!) But I don't think the story will be too slow. _::crosses fingers::_ I'm trying to make this interesting.

To all the reviewers: I'm sorry this is so late. I really truly am. But finals are over now, so I should have more time.

To Esperanza- don't worry, I took your warning very seriously. I'll be sure to get off my bum and write like I've never written before!

To falconstar: Yep, Kagome DID get the skirt from the store. Glad you noticed that!

To Ganny Orbit: thanks for the award! That was really nice. .

To Glarie: Yep, Sango will be appearing. Soon, too.

To Princess Myra: ehehhehehe sweatdrop my LOTR fanfic is on hold for right now, but I do have another chapter coming up.

Mellos Metallium: cool, you like my pen name? Dances I'm glad! Thanks!!

To Genevieve Cordula: proudly hands her a chair Happy baka? . Thanks for the great review!!glomps but please... no more Ms.Meer! runs and hides

To Bj whoa!!! thanks for the awesome review! glomps ooo, fanart? Any chance you could send it to me? hopeful grin

to fox demon: shippo plushie? No don't let it attack me! . thanks for the great review!

To awc: yep you're all prepared for kikyo. Bring her down! .

Twin Star of Suzaku: right on, Houjo really did need to be decked. . thinking he could come between Kagome and Inuyasha, sheesh. Thanks for the review!

To Bunny: Thanks so much! I'm glad you like the fic (your little bunny signature is cute too, hee. .)

Jurei: WAI! glomps woo, I love it when people wave flags. Heh. Thanks for the awesome review!

To Whitwingeddragon1: great review, I loved it. . don't worry, I'll be sure to make the romance a good one.

Hanamei-chan: I'm so excited about the second Inuyasha movie. If i knew more japanese, I'd go straight to Japan and see it there, but I'd be so lost. . thanks for the review!

Aylee the dragon: runs from flamethrower ahh! See, new chapter! Put the weapon down! Or give it to me. . is secretly a pyromaniac

to Tori : cute review, but sadly I do not know that sponge bob episode. Gomen. Interesting comment though, thanks! .

Mikogoddess: yay, you planted the tree! . thanks for the comment! Glad you like the goshinboku.

Aisuru: shhh! Houjo and kikyo? whistles innocently we'll see... heh. Thanks for the review! Cool, you planed your tree too. Smart peoples.

Aretemis moon: heh, don't bop yourself! Yep, I loved "easy as one, two tree" btw. . WAI! I'm glad you liked it when Houjo thought Inuyasha was Sota. (I love that part) thanks for the wonderful review! huggles

To YodaOrekay: wow! Blush thanks for the compliments! Thanks for the review!

Saiera: feel free to flick kikyo off the earth. As soon as I'm done with her, of course. .

WOOT. dies I felt it about time to respond to all the kickass reviews I got. But man... massages fingers ouch, too much typing! Just kidding. To those reviewers I didn't respond to, sorry! I still love your reviews just as much! huggles everyone you guys are so great.

hands out slurpies to everyone mmmm, slurpie. . see that button down there? You get a million bucks if you push it. So review away!(only if you want to, of course. .)

ja ne, minna-san!


	7. The Connotations of Crimson

**Random Odd Insane Ramblings of the Author: **___wanders in::_ Whoa, you're all still here? _::hugs everyone::_ Thanks minna-san! I know, I'm evil .. . This chapter has taken me forever and a day to finish, and my life has been hectic too. And holy shizzle-la moley!

_485 reviews?!? I love you all!!!!!!! _well, enough rambling. On with the fic! Anyways, buckle your seatbelts kiddies, cuz here we go! Brand Spankin' New Chapter Ahead!

(also- song lyrics used in the end of the chapter belong solely to Linkin Park. I take no credit for their awesomeness.)

Now go read.

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Chapter 7: The Connotations of Crimson

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_Red Eyes._

A cold, unfeeling look, full of bloodlust. The embodiment of violence and rage made into flesh, all contained in two crimson eyes that had once been golden.

_What's going on?_

Kagome frowned at the hanyou that stood a few feet away from her. She could feel Miroku's muscles tense next to her, as muttered curses poured forth from his mouth. He was worried, and almost scared... but he wasn't leaving.

_Something is very wrong._

A cruel laugh came forth from the hanyou, as he brought one clawed hand up to his line of vision. "Oh look," his voice abounded with sarcasm and pseudo innocence, "I seem to have scratched them." He ran his tongue along his hand, licking off a generous amount of blood and adding to the sadistic glory that surrounded him. His laugh sent a shiver down the young girl's spine.

_...Inuyasha?_

Kagome's entire body was drained both mentally and physically from whatever power she had summoned before, and her exhausted mind could not comprehend what she was seeing. Inuyasha had turned into some sort of monster...

"Kagome, we need to get out of here." Miroku was nervously glancing behind them, judging the distance between himself and the car. "If we run, we can make it." He took a slow step backwards, pulling her with him.

_Leave? How can I leave him? Something is wrong- but he needs me. I can't leave him. Inuyasha... what's happening to you?_

"Stop." Suddenly, Kagome's head was beginning to clear. Obviously Miroku had some idea of what had happened to Inuyasha, or else he wouldn't be so worried. "Miroku, what's going on? Tell me, _now_."

Miroku blanched, judging the distance between himself and the car once again. "Kagome, this really isn't the time. In fact, we have very _little _time."

The determined girl glared at the pony tailed boy, and he relented. "All right, fine. What you're seeing now is Inuyasha's full demon form. But something's wrong, I've never seen him like this before... this is different somehow. Now let's _go!_"

Inuyasha had averted his attention back to Hiten, as he proceeded to kick the unconscious demon in the side repeatedly, tossing insults at the fallen man. Kagome winced as she heard the distinct sound of Hiten's ribs breaking, and her pulse quickened in fear. "Miroku, you need to be clear, and you need to make this fast. How is it different?"

Miroku's lips formed a thin line, but he nodded slightly in acceptance while tossing a cautious look at the hanyou. "Every other time he's gone complete demon, he hasn't had any rational sense. It usually only happens when his life is in extreme danger," he motioned to the gaping wound in the hanyou's stomach. "Like _that_. Inuyasha has amazing healing abilities, but if we don't treat him soon, he's going to die of blood loss. As is, I don't think he can feel pain right now- his mind has been taken over by the youkai blood in him. And yet..."

Kagome bit her lip in anticipation and fear for Inuyasha. "And yet what? Miroku, what's going on?!"

Miroku turned a very solemn expression towards the girl. "Kagome, this is possibly the most dangerous I've ever seen him. Any other time he's gone full demon he wasn't able to distinguish between friend or foe, but he also wasn't rational. He was overpowered by bloodlust, fiercely concerned only with surviving. He was a pure killing machine, but his youkai blood eventually made him pass out. But now, he's different. There's still a part of the old Inuyasha there- he's not only a full demon, but he also has a semblance of coherence. And that makes him cruel, calculating, uncaring, and extremely _dangerous_."

Kagome turned her head to stare at the hanyou. Her eyes were glazed, her voice was silent, but her inner thoughts were screaming at her to do something. _What should I do?_ Inuyasha's gaze turned away from Hiten to lock with her own. A cruel smirk registered on his lips as he rose from his crouched position next to the thunder demon. "I spared his life," Inuyasha drawled, slowly walking towards her. "Aren't you proud of me?" Inuyasha flexed his claws, raising an eyebrow at the blood that stained them. "Pity. Now I'll have to wash my hands." He gave a mock sigh, as his vision encountered Manten. Seeing the younger Thunder Brother, he snarled viciously. "That's the bastard that attacked you, isn't it Kagome?" He stalked over towards Manten, a deadly look in his eyes.

For a moment Kagome had thought she had the old Inuyasha back, but as soon as the hanyou reached Manten, that thought was destroyed. This wasn't Inuyasha, this was some cold blooded sadistic killer. Inuyasha lifted the unconscious body of Manten into the air, reeling his fist back and throwing a vicious punch into Manten's face. He snarled fiercely, wrapping his hand around the younger thunder demon's throat and squeezing. "Your brother can live for now, bastard," he added more strength to his hold, "But **you **can die."

_Somebody stop him!_

Kagome's eyes were frozen wide in shock at Inuyasha's actions, but she knew something had to be done. "Inuyasha..." she whispered. Somebody had to stop the hanyou, and it looked like that somebody was her. "Inuyasha!!"

The dog demon paused, jerking his head to face her. "What?!" he snarled. "Don't even tell me you want _this_ bastard to live too?!" He shook the thunder demon for emphasis, giving Kagome a cold smile. "Well, sorry. I can't do that. This prick is mine to kill."

"NO! Inuyasha, you can't kill him!" Kagome removed herself from Miroku's supporting hold, ignoring the boy's protests. She began to slowly walk towards Inuyasha, trying to keep herself as steady as possible. "Inuyasha, calm down. You have to listen to me, ok?"

For a moment, realization dawned in the hanyou's eyes, but in a flash in was gone. "Don't tell me what to do, bitch!" He snarled at her, wrapping both hands around Manten's neck. "Just leave me alone- if I want to kill him, I will!"

Kagome fisted her hands, trying to keep a lock on her emotions and try to talk some sort of sense into the blood lusting demon. "Inuyasha, just let him go. Let's go home, and treat that wound, ok?"

Inuyasha merely snorted. "Wound? This is nothing. I'll be fine. And just what the hell is your problem? Just let me kill him- he would have killed you! Besides," he grinned, "It's been a long time since I've killed anything."

Tears started to form in the corner of her eyes, but Kagome refused to let them fall. Every time Inuyasha looked at her, his blood red eyes shone with anger, hate, and violence. But she refused to give up- for at the very center of his eyes, a tiny spot of gold could still be seen there. Some small part of the old Inuyasha remained and refused to be wholly taken over by his youkai blood. Maybe, just maybe, Kagome could bring Inuyasha back. The tears she had been trying so hard to keep at bay began to stream down her face, leaving crystalline paths of sadness down her cheeks.

Recognition registered in Inuyasha's eyes once again, and he dropped Manten without a second thought. He frowned, and his gaze looked foggy. "Kagome...?"

Kagome let a small sob escape, and she nodded. "Come on Inuyasha," she took a few steps towards the boy, " Let's go home."

The hanyou's vision was still glazed, but gold was starting to reappear in his eyes again. He nodded slightly, stepping forward. "Yeah... home..." As he went to take another step, he cried out and grasped his head, wincing in pain as he fell to his knees. Throwing his head back, Inuyasha screamed his pain into the night.

"Inuyasha!" worried for his safety, Kagome quickly closed the distance between herself and the hanyou. She crouched next to his kneeling position in the ground, reaching a hand out to comfort him. "Inuyasha, are you al-"

Inuyasha's hand snapped out, roughly grabbing Kagome's wrist. As his gaze slowly rose to meet her own, Kagome could see that the crimson color had taken over Inuyasha's eyes again. Kagome futilely tried to pull her wrist out of the hanyou's grasp, but his vice-like hold didn't budge an inch.

"You should have just left me alone, girl." There was no humor in his gaze, no sarcasm. Just the pure coldness of his anger. But the slight traces of gold still remained in his eyes, and Kagome's hope refused to die out. She wrenched her arm free of his grasp, looking the hanyou dead on. "Inuyasha, just let the anger _go_. Snap out of it!"

All she received in reply was a snarl, and Kagome began to worry as her vision started to blur. "Inuyasha... _please_... go back to normal..." She wobbled a bit, and fell forward as her knees gave out. Kagome closed her eyes, expecting to hit the cold ground. Instead, strong arms quickly came up to catch her, holding her protectively. Inuyasha's grip was firm and supportive, but he refused to look at her.

A low growl came from the hanyou, and Kagome could feel his fingers clenching against her. "Kagome..." Inuyasha's voice was rough and barely recognizable, but Kagome's heart leapt with hope. "Get out of here... I don't want to hurt you."

"Inuyasha, I can't! You're not yourself... I won't leave you!" Kagome froze as Inuyasha's growl rose in volume, and a startled warning shout came from Miroku.

"Kagome, get out of there! Inuyasha, _don't you dare hurt her!!_" The pony tailed boy looked on with worry, debating whether to interfere or not.

Inuyasha's growl continued to grow louder, and his grip on Kagome's arms tightened painfully, and his claws began to tear through her skin. She fought against his bloodied hands, struggling to escape him. "Inuyasha, stop it! Let go, you're hurting me!"

The hanyou's head dropped forward, his hair shielding his face. "... Not...safe..." was his only response. He snarled suddenly, harshly throwing Kagome away from him. She stumbled and fell, landing harshly on her wrist. She cried out, cradling the injured wrist in her lap. A searing pain ran up her arm, and Kagome's eyes widened. Her wrist was broken...

"Kagome!" Miroku ran to her side, cursing himself for not helping her sooner. "Kagome... oh gods, are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" she snapped. "It's Inuyasha I'm worried about... Miroku, how can we help him?"

"I have an idea, but I'm not sure if it will-"

Inuyasha screamed once again, the sound tearing at Kagome's heart. His gaze locked onto her own again, but this time there was no gold left in his gaze. No comforting golden eyes to reassure her, just cold, cruel, crimson.

"Kagome, say the word! Say whatever made Inuyasha turn into a dog before, say it now!"

"But... " Kagome hesitated. "Miroku, he's hurt! How are we supposed to treat him if he's a dog?!"

Miroku helped Kagome to her feet, keeping a cautious watch on the advancing hanyou. "We'll figure that out later! Just say the damn word, Kagome!"

The girl sent a glare at Miroku, but relented. "But... what if he gets stuck as a dog?" There was no response from Miroku, and Kagome bit her lip in worry. Turning her gaze towards Inuyasha, two more tears fell from her eyes. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha... but I hope this works. _Please don't hate me_... " Gripping Miroku's hand for support, Kagome willed whatever power remained within her to help her. "Inuyasha... sit!!"

For a second, everything froze. No sound could be heard as fate decided the outcome of three teenagers and a kitsune. Would it work? Or would Inuyasha be stuck as a killer for the rest of his life? Luckily, fate decided to be generous that day.

There was no smoke, no cursing, no sounds of surprise- but Inuyasha had reverted back into a huge white dog. His torn and bloody clothes lay beneath him, and the dog was unmoving, apparently unconscious.

Kagome heaved a huge sigh of relief at the figure her friend had reverted back into. Glancing at the unsalvageable clothes, Kagome smiled wryly, a bit of sadness entering her gaze. "I just bought those clothes, you know." She spoke quietly to herself, unsure of what to do. She sniffed slightly, wiping away her tears. "Gods... there's so much blood." She was frozen for a moment, but she quickly shook herself out of the stupor. "Come on Miroku, let's go save Inuyasha."

Miroku smiled as he carefully lifted the dog in his arms. "Kagome, can you get the kit? I'll put Inuyasha in the car." He scowled as he picked up the dog form of his best friend. "Dude, you need to lose some weight." Kagome barely heard his next muttered words. "Just stay alive Inuyasha. Don't even think of dying on me, or I'll kick your ass in hell."

Kagome smiled sadly, and looked for the kit. He was next to a wall, still unconscious from some blow he had received before. Kagome cradled the kitsune in her shaking arms as she surveyed the destruction around her. Manten and Hiten were still knocked out, or worse- she wasn't quite sure, nor did she wish to find out. Blood was splattered around the alley, and shreds of clothing stirred as a passing breeze blew by. If she hadn't stopped Inuyasha...

Kagome shook her head fiercely. "Don't think like that," she scolded herself. Steeling her body to remain steady, she rejoined Miroku next to his car.

Miroku had just put the white Inu into the back seat of his car, moaning about blood stains ruining the leather. Kagome rolled her eyes, noticing the hidden worry in Miroku's eyes. He was trying to keep the mood light, but Kagome could tell he was deeply worried over Inuyasha's safety. Perhaps that was the other boy's way of dealing with the pain of his friend going insane... it was sad in a way, but she was grateful for his company. Kagome forced herself to remain positive, sitting in the back seat next to the unconscious form of the dog. Miroku settled himself in the driver's seat, checking to make sure Kagome was alright. The girl placed the kit in her lap, patting the small youkai's fur in soft comforting strokes. She carefully rested her injured wrist in her lap, wincing slightly at the pain. Seeing that Kagome was set to go, Miroku started the car and raced towards Kaede's store. They needed to help Inuyasha, and fast.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Miroku, hurry up!"

"Damnit Kagome, Inuyasha weighs a ton! He's starting to wake up too. I don't know if we can control a youkai dog!"

"All the more reason to hurry! Come ON!"

Lady Kaede calmly exited the back storage room where she had been cataloging items for her store. Being interrupted by the shouting of Kagome and some other boy, she decided to investigate. As she came within sight of the front doors, Kaede could see some boy valiantly carrying a huge injured dog in his arms, while Kagome held the door open, trying to give the boy directions. They two were bickering and letting blood drip all over her pristine clean floor. The elder woman clicked her tongue in chastisement. This would not do. Politely clearing her throat, Kaede turned her attention to the two teens. "Excuse me, but what, may I ask, is the meaning of this?"

Kagome sharply turned her head to glance at the elder woman, hope filling her concerned blue gray eyes. "Oh Kaede, I'm so glad you're still here! It's terrible! Inuyasha, he's hurt, and I don't know what to do- we can't take him to the hospital, and I'm no good with healing. Miroku doesn't know what he's doing either." An indignant shout came from the boy who was hauling Inuyasha around, but Kagome ignored the boy. "Kaede, please. You have to help us."

Kaede quickly made her way over to the strange group in her doorway, noticing the beat up kitsune in Kagome's arms for the first time. Patting the girl's shoulder in a comforting gesture, Kaede motioned to one of the many back rooms. "This way, if you please."

Kagome nodded, and followed Kaede obediently, Miroku right behind her, still muttering about Inuyasha's heavy weight. Kaede flicked on a light switch for yet another storage room, and motioned for Miroku to set Inuyasha down. He did so, sending his Inu friend a concerned look. "Kaede... he's lost a lot of blood. Is there any way we can heal him as a dog?"

Kaede frowned in concentration. "It would be easier to treat him if he was not in his full Inu form, but it is not an impossible task." The elder woman rolled up her sleeves, raking her eyes over the shelves as she looked for the necessary medicines and herbs she would need to heal the Inu-youkai.

Miroku glanced at the shelves dubiously, noticing the odd combinations of new treatments as well as packages that looked alarmingly old. "Um... Lady Kaede... I don't mean to be rude, but will those medicines really help Inuyasha? Some look rather, uh... ancient."

Kaede sent a glare over her shoulder at the pony-tailed boy. "Do not question my knowledge, boy. Kagome has faith in me, and you should as well. Now, make yourself useful and go boil some water."

The boy nodded and walked off in daze, forgetting in his haste to comply that he had absolutely no idea where a stove, microwave, or even a sink was. Well, he was a smart boy. He'd find them eventually.

Kagome smiled as she watched Miroku leave. Kaede had that sort of effect on people, rather surprising for a stout little woman. She had a commanding presence about her that demanded attention and compliance, yet at the same time she was not intruding or overly forceful. She was simply someone not to be taken lightly. Kagome set the kit comfortably on the floor in a corner of the room, away from Inuyasha. Dusting her clothes off with her good hand, Kagome made her way towards the elder woman, intent on offering any help that she could. Kaede was rather short in stature, and was currently struggling for an item that was higher up on the shelves. "Here, let me help you with that." Kagome grinned as she stood on her tiptoes and grabbed the package from it's resting place on the shelf. She handed it to Kaede, who grinned and shook her head.

"You're not that much taller than me, Kagome. You're just younger and free of arthritis."

The two women laughed softly, and Kaede took stock of the items that she had in her arms. She nodded to herself, and slowly kneeled next to the unconscious hanyou-turned-dog. Dumping the items on the floor next to her, she motioned for Kagome to join her by the Inu's side. Kaede calmly began mixing ingredients together, softly chanting a spell over them. A pale blue light began to flare up from the bowl she was mixing in, then quickly went out. Kaede continued to mix the powders and herbs together, her glance quickly passing over Kagome.

Kagome sat with her hands folded neatly in her lap, staring absently at the dog in front of her. Kaede noticed that one of the girl's wrists was bent at a strange angle... another injury to heal. The young girl looked lost, and above all, confused. Kaede could guess at parts of what the girl was feeling, but most of this whole escapade was a mystery. Kaede knew that Inuyasha and Kagome were destined to meet, but what they would do with the hand they had been dealt in life remained to be seen. Complications had begun to arise, and this was only the beginning. There was something much bigger in store for the couple...

Kagome cautiously stroked her hand over the soft white fur of the Inu in front of her. This was only the third time she had seen him in this form, and she prayed feverently that it wouldn't be the last time he saw him. She was going to heal Inuyasha no matter what, and make sure he survived.

Kaede noticed the determined look that entered Kagome's eyes, and the elder woman nodded in approval. "Here, Kagome. Put this on the wounds Inuyasha has."

Kagome snapped out of her musings as her gaze was redirected to the woman next to her. She took the bowl from Kaede, noticing the thick paste had retained the faint blue tint. Kagome frowned flighty, some sixth sense telling her there was magic in the mixture. The fact that it had been glowing blue only minutes before was kind of a give away as well. "Kaede, are you sure this is ok to use on Inuyasha? He is part demon after all..." Kagome gave the elder woman a skeptical glance. "Won't this magic hurt him?" Kagome was too exhausted to realize she had just told the elder woman about Inuyasha's demonic nature, or to wonder how Kaede or she herself suddenly knew about magic- hell, her brain was on autopilot right now. She wouldn't question it even if Miroku walked in and suddenly announced he was gay. Ok... actually, she would question that, but still...

Kaede patted the girl's shoulder in reassurance. "I am perfectly aware he's a hanyou. Just apply it with your fingers, Kagome. Your touch is the best thing for Inuyasha right now."

Kagome nodded and scooped some of the paste out of the bowl with her fingers. Hesitating, she shook her head and began to spread the weird medicine over the various wounds on Inuyasha's body, concentrating mostly on the wound through his stomach. Even when he was in his dog form it still looked terrible. As Kagome continued to treat the hanyou's wounds, she felt an odd heat coming from her hand, and when she glanced down she gave a yelp of surprise. Her hand was glowing softly with a white light, permeating through the medicine and covering Inuyasha's wounds. Kagome sat in shock, watching in complete bafflement as she watched this white light spread over Inuyasha. What the hell...?

Kaede watched with rapt attention, a triumphant smirk appearing on her lips. Miroku walked into the room, carrying a pot of hot water. "Here you go Lady Kaede, I - whoa, what the _hell _are you doing Kagome? Your hand is _glowing_!!"

Kagome chuckled slightly, still shocked. "I'm aware of that, Miroku." Kagome finished applying the medicine to Inuyasha's wounds as she turned to Kaede. Miroku just stood in the exact same position he had entered into the room. "Care to explain?"

Kaede laughed. "Apparently your miko powers are beginning to show themselves, Kagome dear." She grinned. "I had expected that it wouldn't be for a few more years, but I suppose the hanyou gave them a jump start."

Kagome winced, rubbing at her forehead in a tired manner. She was completely exhausted now that all the adrenaline that had been flowing through her body had worn off. She could feel a major headache coming on. "Right. I'm a miko. _Great_. Wonderful. **Joy**. I'm completely ecstatic with happiness... What's a miko?"

Kaede sighed at the girl's sarcasm and Miroku chuckled as well. "Hey, Kaede- what should I do with this water?"

Kaede looked at the boy with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "You can pour it down the sink. I didn't need any water, but I needed something to get you out of the way."

Miroku's face formed a silent "wha?" expression as he stared in bewilderment at the elder woman. He blinked a few times, then turned and went to dump the water down the sink, muttering about "psycho old women who send innocent guys on pointless errands..."

Kagome rolled her eyes, giving a playful scolding to the woman. "Kaede, that was mean." She laughed. "But his expression was priceless!" The younger girl started to laugh again, but the amusement died out of her tone as she looked at Inuyasha. "Kaede, what did I just do? Will Inuyasha be alright?"

Kaede sighed, putting the powder and herb packages into somewhat of a pile. "I believe wholeheartedly that Inuyasha will be fine-physically. Mentally is another matter entirely."

Kagome nodded slowly. "Ok, I can accept that. He's bound to be pretty torn up after this whole 'transforming' thing, right?" Kagome sighed. "I just wish I knew more about what was going on. I can barely even see straight right now. I'm not even sure what I am, or what happened to Inuyasha! And geez, why was my hand just glowing?!"

Kaede patted the girl's hand softly, discreetly telling her to calm down. Both Inuyasha and the kit had begun to stir as Kagome's voice began to steadily increase in volume, and it was imperative that both get as much rest as possible. "Kagome, calm down. We will try to sort out as much of this mess as possible, but unfortunately there are questions that only Inuyasha can answer himself."

Kagome sighed in resignation. "You're right." She massaged her temples again, and thanked Kaede as the woman gave her some headache medicine she had gotten for the girl. "Can you please explain what you know?"

Kaede resettled herself, taking a deep breath. "Kagome, you are a miko." She raised a hand to cut off the girl's protests. "Whether you know what a miko is or whether you want to be one does not matter- the fact of the matter is you are a miko. You have spiritual powers to heal, destroy, and purify. And from what I've seen so far, they are quite powerful."

Kagome snorted. "This is nothing. You should have seen what I did in the alley. I never thought pink light would be destructive, but hey... ya know, whatever." Kagome shrugged tiredly as her frazzled body and mind attempted to stay in focus. "So that white glowing light stuff... I was healing Inuyasha?"

Kaede smiled in admiration. Kagome was catching on fast. "Exactly. Now... pink light? What are you talking about?"

Kagome stretched, cracking her back slightly. "Well, Inuyasha and I were fighting to protect the kit from two other demons. Inuyasha was fighting one of them, and well... when he was busy, the other one attacked the kit and me. I felt some weird power building up inside, and I smashed his face with it." Kagome grinned in satisfaction. "Serves the jerk right too."

Kaede rolled her eyes. "Kagome, I think Inuyasha is beginning to affect your personality. Anyways, you're advancing much faster than I thought you would. I may have to start teaching you a few things, if you don't know them already."

Kagome nodded. "We'll talk about that later. What I really want to know is what's going on with Inuyasha..."

"So do I." Miroku returned, free of the water and pot he had been previously carrying. "And I've heard your conversation so far, and I think there's a bit I can add to it. Though," he yawned widely, "That may have to wait until later because I'm not quite coherent right now."

Kagome glared at the boy as she yawned also. "Yeah, I feel like I just went a week without sleep." Kagome glanced at her broken wrist, staring at it absently for a moment. Yep, she was definitely tired. "Hey Kaede, can I heal myself too?"

"Yes, you can... " Kaede followed the girl's gaze and sighed. "Kagome, is your wrist broken?"

"Um... yes?"

Miroku smushed his face into the palm of his hand. "You say that like it's an everyday thing, Kagome..." he mumbled. "You're all crazy."

Kaede began mixing medicines together once again for the girl, taking bandages down from the shelf as well. "Everyone's sanity is debatable, Miroku. Some people are just more open about it." The elder woman spread the paste over Kagome's wrist, chanted, then wrapped the broken appendage. "Try not to use that wrist for a few days. My medicine works extremely fast, and it should be healed by then. It will be sore for quite awhile after that, though."

Kagome nodded, and Miroku collapsed backwards onto the floor. Kagome shot the boy an odd look. "Uh, Miroku?"

"Yeah?"

"What are you doing?"

Miroku sighed, closing his eyes. "Sleeping."

Kagome nodded to herself, rolling her eyes. "Ok, you do that."

Kaede rose from her sitting position on the floor. "Actually, a nap would suit you both right now. And the kit as well. Stay here while I go and get some sleeping pallets and a few blankets."

Miroku laughed. "I'm good with the floor. At least I know it's not going anywhere and it won't attack me."

Kagome grinned, laying down in between Miroku and Inuyasha on the floor. "Actually Miroku, with the way this day has been going, I wouldn't be surprised if the floor moved and we woke up in Alaska."

"Fiji."

Kagome frowned. "What?"

Miroku yawned, turning over to lay on his side. "One time Inuyasha and I fell asleep in his living room and we woke up in Fiji. It's a long story... has to do with his brother. I'll tell you later."

Kagome nodded and closed her eyes. Sanity was definitely debatable with her new friends.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - --

_I woke up in a dream today..._

Inuyasha looked around in confusion, surveying his red surroundings. Where the hell was he? And why was it all _red_? A chill ran down the hanyou's spine as his thoughts were thrown into chaos. He was all alone, and something felt seriously wrong. A scream pierced through the thick silence, and Inuyasha jumped, all his senses ready for combat. When nothing attacked him, Inuyasha dropped his guard a bit. _What was going on?_

Another scream rang out, and this time Inuyasha could decipher a feminine voice. It sounded very familiar... like... like Kagome! Inuyasha panicked and threw himself forward, racing towards where he thought the scream had come from. What if something was attacking her? What if he didn't get there in time... what if he-

Suddenly, everything around Inuyasha shifted and blurred into a pitch black. The hanyou paused for a moment, ears swiveling around to catch the slightest hint of sound. Damnit, what the fuck was going on?!

Sobbing... that was the sound he heard next. But who? ...Kagome? Why was she crying? Inuyasha growled, his golden eyes flashing into the thick blackness. His patience was running severely thin, and whatever was making Kagome cry was going to die a long and painful death. Did he mention it was going to be full of pain? Because it was. Throwing caution to the wind, Inuyasha charged in a direction that felt right and hoped for the best.

_So close to me, but I can't bring you back..._

Black faded to gray, and Inuyasha could begin to see the outline of people in the distance. He could still hear the crying, and the sound pierced his heart, driving his thoughts into further frenzy. The pain-filled sound had to stop, because if it didn't... that meant that Kagome's pain hadn't ended. Inuyasha snarled as he pushed his body to run faster. Nobody was allowed to hurt his Kagome- there was still so much he wanted to know about her, and just be around her...

Inuyasha sprang his powerful legs into a leap, hoping to cover more ground. The surrounding darkness was lightening, but all he could see in front of him was shades of gray. Halfway through the air, time stopped around Inuyasha, freezing his body in place. Inuyasha snarled at the invisible force, but suddenly he was being pushed ahead faster than his mind could comprehend. Colors flew past his vision, blurring onto a myriad of confusion and blinding chaos. Inuyasha winced, shaking his head while trying to free himself of the everlasting hold. What was going _on_?!

In a jarring stop that knocked the breath from his lungs, Inuyasha was free. His eyes darted around, trying to figure out where he was, but all he could see was black. Suddenly, his world exploded into color.

"Inuyasha... please, stop!"

Inuyasha's jaw went slack as he viewed the scene in front of him. Kagome was kneeling on the ground, her clothes smudged with dirt and stained with blood. Tears trailed down her cheeks as she pleaded with the looming figure in front of her. Somebody had attacked her! Inuyasha raised his eyes to see Kagome's attacker, and nearly passed out from shock.

He was watching... himself!

Another Inuyasha stood glaring at Kagome. A menacing smile was present on his lips and his hands were covered in blood not his own. Claw induced slashes were present on Kagome's sides and arms, and the real Inuyasha quickly made the connection. He was watching some sadistic scene between himself and Kagome, but why? And fucking hell, HOW??

As Inuyasha heard another soul shattering sob come from Kagome, he wanted to beat the crap out of his other self. He didn't care what was going on, as long as he helped to ease Kagome's pain. Explanations could come later. As he glared at his other self, Inuyasha noticed the crimson eyes and stripes on the other demon's cheek. That was his full blooded demon form...

A dark chuckle rumbled from the full demon Inuyasha, and he cracked his knuckles. "I think I've stalled enough, little girl. Prepare to die!"

The real Inuyasha's eyes widened in shock. "Wha- Hey, knock it off! What the hell is going on here?"

"Inuyasha, please... just go back to normal." Another broken sob came from Kagome as she lowered her head. "I don't care what happens to me... just go back to the Inuyasha I know."

Inuyasha growled as the full demon version of himself smirked. "Kagome, get up! Please! Stand _up, _bitch! Get out of the way, do you want to die?!" Inuyasha pleaded and yelled obscenities at the girl, anything to get her out of the way of his other fucked up self. Kagome didn't bat an eyelash in his direction, merely remaining in place, oblivious to him. It tore at his emotions to see the bright and fiery girl broken and crying on the ground. If she didn't move soon...

The red eyed Inuyasha condescendingly patted Kagome on the head. "There's a good girl. Now, lift up your head so I can reach your neck easier. It will make your death faster, of course."

Kagome lifted her vision to lock with the evil counterpart to Inuyasha. Her blue-gray gaze was full of sorrow and determined courage. "I swear I'll return you to normal one day, Inuyasha. I swear it. I won't let you suffer alone."

Somehow, this seemed to anger the dark Inuyasha. "Shut up, bitch! Just die already!!"

As the normal Inuyasha watched his other self's arm reach up to deliver a finishing blow, he exploded into action with one thought on his mind.

_Save Kagome._

The sound of a sickening slash reached the hanyou's ears as he watched the young girl's body slump forward onto the ground, a pool of crimson pouring from the wound on her neck. _Too late..._ His lunge to save the girl was abruptly halted as he stood staring in disbelief. No longer were the girl's eyes filled with determination. A glassy blue-gray gaze stared blankly ahead, unseeing of the hanyou who was slowly losing his grip on reality. He was too late... Kagome was dead and it was all his fault...

Inuyasha's fists shook as he locked his fingers together to keep control of his emotions, and his claws bit into the flesh of his palm. All he could see was a lifeless Kagome, killed by a full demon version of himself while he had simply stood by and watched. The distinction between the evil Inuyasha and the real one blurred and melted into one form, until a single hanyou stood staring down at a lifeless girl.

_Everyone has a face they hide inside..._

Blood stained the boy's hands, but his eyes were a sorrowful golden. Had he done this? Had he watched the scene run it's course, or had he been the one to play the main part? Inuyasha raised his hands, shaking his head at the blood that was there. Two tears slipped from the corners of his eyes and his ears drooped in sadness. "No..." he whispered, "_No..._"

As darkness began to once again close in upon Inuyasha, a heart wrenching scream tore from his throat. "_KAGOME!!!!!!!_"

- - -- - - -- - ---

"_KAGOME!!!!!!!_"

Kagome bolted up from her sleeping position on the floor, her eyes quickly scanning the room in panicked confusion. Someone had just screamed her name, and with such a heartbroken tone it had scared the living daylights out of her. It had sounded like Inuyasha, but that was impossible- he was in his dog transformation...

As Kagome's gaze fell to the Inu in question, she was startled to see that Inuyasha had reverted back to his normal hanyou form. His wounds were bandaged, and a blanket covered his body, salvaging his modesty and shielding him from the chill of the night. Kaede must have treated Inuyasha while Kagome was asleep. Miroku was no where to be found in the storage room, but his sleeping pallet had been neatly folded and left in the center of the room.

A small sorrowful yelp came from the hanyou, and Kagome knelt next to his thrashing body, smoothing his tousled bangs away from his forehead. "Calm down Inuyasha, everything's fine." Through the dim light in the room, Kagome watched his troubled expression slowly ease into a more relaxed pose. Something was really troubling Inuyasha, and Kagome's brow furrowed in worry. It seemed like he was having a nightmare, but what was it about?

Inuyasha's foggy golden eyes slowly slid open as he stared at the girl next to him. "Kagome?"

Kagome smiled softly, nodding once. "Yeah?"

The hanyou's eyes shone with a guarded hopeful light. "You're ok?"

A small laugh escaped the girls lips as she grinned, softly scratching one of the boy's soft furry ears. "Of course I'm all right, silly. It's you that I'm worried about."

Before he could think twice about it, Inuyasha sat up and grasped Kagome in a bone-crushing hug. He buried his nose in her hair, keeping a tight hold on the girl. "I'd thought I'd lost you."

Kagome had stiffened at the rapid movement of the hanyou, surprised to be wrapped in his embrace. Slowly relaxing her tense muscles, she gave the boy a heartfelt hug. "Inuyasha, what's wrong? What are you talking about?"

Inuyasha closed his eyes and shook his head softly, holding onto the girl almost like a lifeline to reality. "It was terrible," he whispered.

Kagome's worry increased tenfold as she heard the proud voice of Inuyasha crack in fear. She ran her hands through the hanyou's thick white hair in comforting strokes, surprised at the slight tremble of the boy's muscles. "It's alright Inuyasha. I'm here now, ok? Manten and Hiten are taken care of, you don't have to worry about them. I don't think they'll ever bother us again." _If they're even still alive,_ Kagome added mentally.

The boy shook his head. "That's not what I'm talking about. This is... worse." Inuyasha swallowed, steadying his voice as he tried to clear his head. However, his voice refused to rise above the loud whisper it had stubbornly chose. "I watched him, Kagome. He attacked you, and you were crying... he was going to kill you! Only it wasn't really him, it was me... and all I could do was watch. But when I think about it... what if I wasn't watching? What if it was me who killed you?" He tightly gripped the girl as if to make sure that she was truly alive. "I never meant to hurt you, Kagome. I swear I'll protect you, even from myself. Please don't die Kagome, please..."

Kagome was extremely confused and worried by the boy's jumbled words. Desperately, she tried to pick out the meaning buried within them, but only confused herself more. "Inuyasha, I'm fine. Really! I mean, Manten attacked me in the alley, but I'm fine now. And I'm certainly not dead." Kagome frowned slightly, biting her bottom lip. What was he talking about?

Inuyasha slightly released his tight hold on the girl as he pulled back to look into her eyes. Kagome gasped, an ache rising in her heart at the terrified look in the golden gaze that was locked with her own. "Inuyasha?! What's _wrong_?"

The boy took a deep breath, realizing he was just turning the girl in confusing circles. "Kagome, we really need to talk." He winced as he shifted his position, and he glared at the bandages wrapped around his abdomen. Muttering a curse, he took another deep breath. "There's a few things about my past that you need to know about... but first, the nightmare... or whatever it is I saw."

Kagome intertwined her hand with Inuyasha's and gave an encouraging squeeze. "Ok."

The boy hung his head, a curtain of white hair coming down to shield half his face. "I wasn't talking about what happened in the alley... although we probably should soon. I had this... this nightmare, but it was so real! Like I was really there... I'm not quite sure where it began, but I was in darkness and I heard you scream. I tried to find you, but something kept holding me back. When I finally did find you, you weren't alone. There was another... another, me." Inuyasha paused and grimaced. "Only it wasn't me. It was my full blood demon form, and it had attacked you. I watched him toy with your life, and you said... you said that you'd make the evil me return to normal. You promised it." Inuyasha's grip on the girl's hand increased, and Kagome could tell that even though the boy's emotions were presently chaotic, he was still being careful not to hurt her. Kagome gave a silent thanks that he wasn't holding her injured hand. That would make things rather difficult. Kagome ran her thumb along the hanyou's hand, hoping for a semblance of comfort.

Inuyasha took a shaky breath and continued. "But then... the other me- he got mad, and said he was going to kill you. I tried to stop him, but I was too late." Inuyasha scowled. "Damnit, all I did was sit there and watch him kill you! God!" The hanyou's expression turned bitter as he shook his head. "But then again, maybe I wasn't watching. Because after you died... there was no more evil me. I was alone, and the blood was on _my _hands. It was like... like I had killed you, Kagome."

Kagome reached over and lightly tugged a lock of the boy's shocking silver-white hair. "Inuyasha, look at me." The boy's gaze slowly rose from the floor to clash with a blue gray storm of emotion in the girl's eyes. "It was only a dream. That's it, just a _dream_." She shook the boy's hands slightly to emphasize her words. "And although it's very haunting, and there's probably a whole lot more to this whole deal than I know right now, there's one thing I know for sure- the fact that you would never harm me intentionally."

Inuyasha blinked, mulling over the girl's words. "Yeah, _intentionally_," he growled. "Accidents happen Kagome, and I almost broke your wrist that time at the mall! Who knows what could happen when I don't pay attention?" He scowled, casting his gaze towards the ground again.

Kagome swallowed nervously, discreetly putting her broken wrist out of Inuyasha's range of vision. _If he only knew... _"Inuyasha, that was different. You mistook me for an enemy. I think that's the only thing that affected your judgment. And besides," she softly caressed his cheek, giving him a warm smile. "You got control of yourself before you did any real damage. Inuyasha, I trust you."

A slight hitch caught in the hanyou's breath as he stared back at the girl in front of him. _Trust._ Had he ever really trusted anyone before? Sure, there was Miroku... they were closer than even brothers could be. And yet, there were things he even hid from his pony tailed friend. But this raven haired girl was unwittingly placing her gift of trust in him, a twisted Inu-hanyou. How could he protect one so pure as this girl? He didn't deserve her trust... but as undeserving as he was, a small flicker of pride and hope lit in a darker corner of his soul, a tiny ray of light attempting to banish the darkness. This girl trusted him... and she held his complete and utter trust, as well as every hope he had ever felt... she was his anchor to the hope of a better reality.

Inuyasha snapped himself out of his musing, giving a soft smile to the worried girl. Resting his forehead against hers, Inuyasha closed his eyes. "What have I ever done to deserve your trust, Kagome?"

She took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts. Her life had been so jumbled the past few days... "I'm not exactly sure, Inuyasha." She laughed slightly as the boy snorted slightly. "It's more of a gut feeling. Other than the fact that you protected me from two psycho thunder brothers, the trust I place in you... it's something that I just _know_."

"What if I screw up? One mistake from me could get you killed... " Inuyasha's voice trembled slightly, belying the fact that he really _did _want to accept Kagome's trust, but he was afraid. Something still held the boy back...

Kagome leaned in closer to the hanyou, placing a soft kiss on his cheek. The hanyou's eyes snapped open, surprise lining his features. Kagome merely tilted her head and grinned. "I trust you, Inuyasha. You won't mess up."

A voice inside Inuyasha's head screamed, yelling at him to believe the girl's words. And the gods knew how badly he wanted to, but so many things were wrong... so many issues hadn't even been touched yet. Secrets she didn't know... but all that was aimed at him was a comforting aura of peace and trust, and Inuyasha caved in. Mentally sighing in relief, Inuyasha gave into the girl's warmth, absorbed in the comforting feeling. Grinning, he clasped the girl in a tight hug. He squeezed quickly, placing his lips near her ear. "I swear to you Kagome, I _will_ protect you." He voice lowered in volume in pitch, his next whispered words slightly rough. "You're _mine._"

Kagome swallowed, intent on calming the butterflies that had suddenly arisen in the pit of her stomach. Had she heard him right? No... surely not. But all the denial in the world couldn't stop the silly grin that graced her lips. _I'm his._ The grin morphed into a mischievous smile. _Inuyasha, you'd better keep your word, because this girl just might be interested in being yours._ She chuckled slightly. _Only time will tell._ "Ne, Inuyasha?"

The boy's voice was turning sluggish, and his eyelids began to droop as he buried his nose in the girl's sweet smelling hair. "Yeah?"

Kagome's hands traced patterns along Inuyasha's bare back, and he gave a happy rumble in response. Kagome smiled, content. "You said that there were other... um, issues that we had to talk about. They sounded kind of important."

A small scowl raced across the boy's features for a fleeting second as his content bubble was suddenly burst. He sighed, untangling his arms from around the girl. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, there's a couple things from my past... that you should probably..." A large yawn interrupted his words, and he blinked at Kagome's giggle.

The girl laughed again, seeing Inuyasha look like a big, sleepy, puppy. "Tired, Inuyasha?"

The hanyou gave a sheepish grin, crossing his arms in embarrassment. "Feh. I'm fine... just..." he paused, searching for the right word, "...comfortable."

Kagome rolled her eyes, flashing a grin at the boy. She stretched in an attempt to uncramp her sore muscles, mindful of her injured wrist. She silently marveled at the potency of Kaede's medicine, or rather, magic. She could already move her wrist a bit without a ton of pain! It was a very small movement, but Kagome would take what she could get. "Well," she hedged, "It is rather late. Maybe we should get some rest, and head back to the shrine tomorrow?"

Inuyasha nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that sounds good." He started to lay back, but paused, propping himself up on his elbows. His ears perked up as a thought suddenly entered his head. "Hey Kagome, the kit... did we save him?"

Kagome grinned, smoothing out her blanket as she prepared her bed on the floor. "Yeah, we did. I'm not too sure how he's doing right now, but he's in the care of Kaede and Miroku so he'll be fine."

Inuyasha grinned, nodding one last time in closure. "Good." He hesitated as he watched Kagome prepare for bed. Sparing a quick glance at his own blanket, he pushed all ecchi thoughts out of his mind. "Uh, Kagome?"

"Hmm?" The girl turned, an inquisitive smile on her face.

A small blush crept over the hanyou's cheeks, a rare sight indeed. "Do you think... uh... would you sleep next to me?" The boy crossed his fingers, praying that the girl wouldn't take it the wrong way.

"Eh?" A red flush tinted her cheeks as she blinked absently. "Um..."

Inuyasha sat up, waving his arms in a placating manner. "I don't mean anything perverted, I swear!" his blush deepened. "But... it's just that... well, your presence calms me, and I really don't want to go through another nightmare from hell. But if it makes you uncomfortable-" he broke off, toying with the hem of his own blanket.

Kagome shook her head slightly, smiling. Picking up her own sleeping mat, pillow and blanket, she set them next to Inuyasha's. Tugging on a lock of the boy's hair, she sat next to him, spreading the blanket over herself. "Inuyasha, uncomfortable is a term applied to leather." She laughed at the boy's perplexed expression. "I would love to sleep next to you. Maybe you'll scare my nightmares away too, ne?"

Inuyasha grinned, silently contemplating what nightmares could trouble the girl. "No nightmare can get past the girl _I'm _protecting." He tucked a stray piece of raven hair behind her ear, tilting his head with a smile. "Sweet dreams then, right?"

Kagome grinned, laying down. "Sweet dreams Inuyasha."

The hanyou followed her example and lay down, facing the ceiling. He bit his lip, debating internally whether to pull the girl closer or not. She was curled slightly, facing away from him and already drifting away to sleep. He silently argued for a few minutes, then growled softly, rolling his eyes. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around Kagome's waist, pulling her back against his broad chest. He froze, feeling her shift and mumble something incoherent. She turned in his grasp, changing her position to face him, pillowing her head on his chest. Blood pounded in the boy's ears as he waited for an accusation of being a hentai, or a chastisement for being too bold, but nothing came. He sighed in relief, but his body froze again when Kagome shifted closer to him.

"Ne, Inuyasha... you're so warm." her sleep murmured words were soft, and her eyes remained closed. "But you're too tense..."

Inuyasha let out a slow breath, ordering his body to calm down, relax, and sleep. He felt Kagome toss an arm over his side, securing their embrace. He smiled, placing his chin on top of the girl's head, a contented rumble echoing out from his chest. A goofy grin was etched onto his features as his eyes slid close. _So comfortable..._ Inuyasha mentally laughed- he'd like to see nightmares try and get them now.

- - - - -- - - -

A few hours later, deep into the night, the door to the store room slowly creaked open. A beam of light entered into the dark room, partially blocked by the dark silhouette of the heads of two curious onlookers.

"Hey Kaede, do you think we should let them know that Inuyasha's naked underneath that blanket?" Miroku's whisper cut through the silence, bordering on laughter.

The elder woman gave a smirk in reply to the boy's question. "They'll figure it out when they wake up tomorrow morning." She grinned, giving a short bark of laughter. She pulled slightly on the boy's ponytail, motioning for him to move so she could shut the door. "Come, young one. We should go look after the kit. Tomorrow morning will prove to be... rather interesting." With another grin, the elder woman softly clicked the door shut, leaving the couple in peace.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Woo, and another chapter comes to a close. Had to add more fluff at the end, I just can't help myself. And I swear, Sango is coming! It will just be a little bit. There's a lot more humor coming up, more romantic tension, and of course more angst. Oh, and there's a plot stuck in there somewhere to… can't forget that, now can we? And whatever happened to Kikyo? Well, you'll see. Probably following someone around downtown, scaring the crap outta them.

And because you're all wonderful readers, _::hands everyone free flip flops::_, in time for the nice weather we'd BETTER GET, just in time for spring break.

_::announcer voice::_ And now it's everyone's favorite time, **R**esponse **T**o **T**he **R**eviewers! (sorry I can't respond to everyone, but I do appreciate all of 'em! They always brighten my day. Especially after I get assigned homework from the depths of hell. Oi...)

**C-chan:** uncle sam style, eh? interesting. . actually kouga's girlfriend is Ayame, and Sango is Ayame's friend. So she's the friend of kouga's girlfriend. Confusing, ne? Unfortunately I don't know about Yuta the Immortal from Mermaid Forest, but maybe someday I'll find out who that is! . thanks for the great review!

**Sunchaser1052: **loved the review! Many different people all contained together in one review. . I promise there will be plenty more action and romance. Definitely. Thanks!

**Ezcooler:** yep, Miroku and Sango went on a date. . which will bring further chaos later, heh. Thanks for the comment!

**MJ:** cool, the story rocks out loud? very fun, I'm glad you like it!

**Silver Dragon2488: **Nice combo with all the gifts, -. And I'm glad mikogoddess told you about my fic! It's makes me happy to know that people tell others about my stories. And yes, Kikyo makes very good fire kindling. heheh. And i'm not too sure what the second Inu movie is about, I haven't seen it yet. Wish I had though. Anyways, thanks for the review!

**fic-lover :** pixi-stick high kitsunes? That's definitely the best incentive I've ever heard to get writing. great review!

**kitty demon: **nope, I'm not dead. Close to it, but not quite. - And having kikyo accidentaly pushed into the street and get run over is a very tempting idea, but knowing kikypo she'd just make some stuff explode. sighs she's such an evil woman... she's got issues. thanks for the review!

**Daughter of Bast: **Awesome, you know the table I'm talking about!! high fives very cool. I'm glad you like the fic so far, and I am trying to keep them in character, but since the circumstances are a bit different I'm going to take some liberties with their personalities. that makes it interesting. Glad you like it! thanks for the comment!

**Ame Tenshi: **I love giving free stuff away at the end of chapter. glad you like it. . hugs thanks for the comment!

**tOkU-cHaN: **heh, cliffhangers. I love writing 'em. Thanks for the review! (oh, btw- you're from the forum, aren't you? -)

**Mikogoddess: **ack, you gave me a month to update, and I STILL take too long. Gomen! bows and uh... gives you a million monopoly bucks heh. I'm so glad you liked the fic, thanks for the awesome review!

**Sakura-Hikaru: **full demon Inuyasha is definitely drool worthy.(he's so bish!) glad you liked the fic! .

**AngelicFairy: **awesome, I'm glad you liked the way I brought in the thunder brothers. And shippo is definitely the cutest, ever. . glad you like it! great review too.

**EvilPrincessMelphis: **plushies are great. is also secretly planning to steal Inuyasha And houjo did have it coming to him. Glad you liked it. Fun review!

**Falconstar: **awesome review, thanks! hugs and yep, there are two inuyasha movies. I haven't seen the second one yet, just seen the preview. Kaede knows of Inuyasha because... well, you'll have to wait and see. . And miroku found kagome's house because he can track inuyasha... somehow. He's just cool like that. . thanks for the awesome review!.

**fow-demon: **yikes, throw me into a vat of ramen? well, that's ok, I'll just eat my way out. . glad you like my story! . great review!

**Kitten Kisses: **you printed a chapter of my story out? hugs I'm honored! glad you like the fic! awesome review, thanks!

**SailorFangirl:** I would love an oreo, thanks! eats oreo happily Inuyasha is definitely the king. - thanks for the great review!

**kmf: **'She slumped forward, landing on her kneels' ACK! quickly stuffs computer behind her back, hiding the typo. ehehe... whoops. Thanks for pointing that out, it was suppossed to be knees. . I'll fix that.. someday when I have time, lol. thanks for the great review!

**wolfspeaker: **true, Inuyasha's hanyou form has yellow gold eyes, but when he goes FULL demon, his eyes turn red. . I'm glad you like the fic! thanks for the review!

**Ganny Orbit: **you're hooked, eh? I'm glad. - evil and fluff are always a good combo. thanks for the review!

**Mistress of Richard Cox:** notice the aka at the beginning of the chapter? WWF smackdown. For you, I hope you won the bet. thanks for the review! (you called me Aurelia-sama? WHOA, you get a cookie for that! hands you a cookie)

**Sunflash: **I'm glad you like the way I write Inuyasha's demon form. I've read some fics and... blah, I just don't like the way some people portray him. But I'm glad you like my portrayal. great review, thanks!

**Tori : **nope, Miroku doesn't have his staff... yet. . heh. That will come in later. glad you like the fic! hugs thanks!

**gohansfan: **I'm glad you find my fic entertaining. Laughter is good for the soul, after all. Thanks for the great review! gives gohansfan movie 1 dvd tada! there ya go. ducks from rubber chicken you people all have crazy weapons. -

**Genevieve Cordulla: **sheesh, you want a mini fridge too? what do think I am, a walmart? - AWESOME review(it was huge! thanks!!!) yelling at the screen, huh? I love it when people get all into the story. (yami? BWAHA.) and uh... no more gollum. no sirree... backs away slowly thanks for the great review, Kim-chan! glomp

**Kashke: **wow, you stayed up reading my fic? Awesome, thanks!! and being hyper is always a good thing. thanks for the great review!

**Aelinwen Elentari: "**okay, where's my million bucks? herd of deer runs past --; very funny.." falls off chair from laughter that's it, you officially get the award for funniest review comment ever!!! That was GREAT! hugs I loved that, it really made my day. LOL! glad you like the fic... still laughing I so loved your review. Thanks!!

**Glarie: **Yeah, I don't really have an update schedule. I try and update every two weeks, but ehehe... you can see that it hasn't really worked lately. thanks for the great review, I'm glad you like my story! and yes, Hojo is an idiot and completely oblivious to everything. .

**Inu-chan : **a chapter full of Inu/kag fluff, huh? well, I'll see what I can do. - fluff is good. thanks for the great review!

**Raiye:** dodges katana yikes! everyone and they're weapons, sheesh. - well, I'd give you a million bucks, but I'm rather broke. sighs but how about a new chapter? this I can do. . thanks for the review!

**Jurei:** yep, shippo-chan has made his entrance! - hugs I'm so glad you like my writing! it makes me happy to hear that. . watching it, eh? cool! yes, you waved flags! high five thanks for the awesome review!!

**Rayne Maker: **inu's better, see? be happy. - I'm glad you like the roles of the characters. And Kagome's powers will definitely be showing up more often. - thanks for the review!

**Aqua girl: **kikyo will be dealt with, don't worry. But she actually has to do something first, ne? thanks for the review! -

**Azurro Bass:** heh, yes they did get groceries. lol! And I'll try and check out love intertwined too! - thanks for the review!

**Peridot Mist: **hmm... laughing so hard you're roomates think you're crazy? Great, my mission has been successful! - thanks for the entertaining review!

**hanamei-chan: **thanks for the picture from the second movie, I did love it! . Kagome has a very playful side in this fic. I love to make her tease the guys. thanks for the review!

**Bunny: **I know Inuyasha's demon forms are confusing. Let's just say, when his life is threatened, he goes demon like in the series... and Kikyo made him into the dog form. But then again... well, something coming up in later chapters may contradict that slightly. . gomen! thanks for the great review!

**Artemis Moon: **It's so great to hear that you look forward to my updates!(especially since I loved "easy as 1,2,3. When authors that I like like my work, it's a great feeling. hugs) I like Inuyasha in his full demon form too, but only when he's not on a killing spree. - thanks for the fun review!

- - - - - - - -- - - -

collapses in her chair whoa... that was a lot of responses! (only because you guys write such awesome reviews!! I love it!) _::hugs everyone::_ I hope you liked this chapter, I had some major trouble putting it together... _::kicks chapter::_ but I like the end result. It'll help me set things up for later in the plot... _::evil laugh::_ bwaha. anyways, thanks for reading! Leave a review if you can, I'd love it! Ja, till next time minna-san!


	8. One Helluva Day

Looky! An update! angry crowd yells "FINALLY!"

-

I'd missed you guys, and this story. I was trying to find a college (ball state, woohoo!) and I've been working on some original stuff. But though I may be evil, I'm back! So go read, and tell me if my writing is better, worse, the same, or if it tastes like Chunky Munkey icecream. XD

------------- Chapter 8: One Helluva Day-------------------------

There was nothing quite like a naked guy's chest to substitute as a pillow. It was comfortable, warm, and-

Kagome's eyes jolted open as she lifted her head up. Sure enough, she had been partially laying on top of Inuyasha. A blanket was covering his lower half, but his torso was completely exposed, with the exception of his bandages.

The hanyou himself was still asleep. Biting her lip in debate, Kagome assessed the great looking guy in front of her. Man, it was sooo tempting...

Grinning, Kagome shrugged and poked Inuyasha in the chest. Amazed at his toned muscles, she traced small circles across his torso in wonder. The sleepy dog-demon mumbled in his sleep, and shifted slightly as he began to wake up.

"...Ka..go..me...," he laughed, "Stop it. That really tickles."

Kagome just smiled and continued her poking. "That's ok, you need to wake up anyways."

Inuyasha groaned, and gave in. He wasn't getting back to sleep now. "Fine, you crazy girl." He opened his eyes and looked at the dark haired girl sitting next to him, who was currently fascinated by his stomach. "What are you doing anyways?"

"Exploring."

Inuyasha smirked and sat up. "Find something you like?"

Kagome's gaze shot to Inuyasha's face at his suggestive tone. Uhoh, perhaps waking up next to a half naked guy wasn't the greatest idea. Especially if the look he was giving her now was any indication of his train of thought. "Uh..." she blushed and stammered trying to think of something to say.

"You know, Kagome..." Inuyasha paused, giving the girl a long look. "I just-"

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

A little kitsune exploded through the doorway with a furious Miroku in hot pursuit. "Someone Save MEEEEEE!" The kit ran directly to Kagome and jumped into her lap for protection, while Miroku paused to catch his breath.

"That freakin' kit is INSANE! I'm through dealing with him for the day, you guys take him. Gods, the little demon set me on fire!" Mumbling, Miroku turned and slammed the door shut as he left.

The startled girl looked at the tiny fox boy in her lap, then at the extremely agitated hanyou sitting next to her. "Eheh...wow...uhm. Well then." She just shrugged as Inuyasha shook his head in dismay.

"Oi, brat. What'd you do to Miroku?"

The little fox jerked his head up and glared at Inuyasha. "My name isn't brat, it's Shippou!"

"Considering you just interrupted something very important, your name is brat."

"Shippou!"

"Brat."

"SHIPPOU!"

"BRAT."

"IT'S SHIPPOU, YOU MANGY DOG-EARED HANYOU!"

Kagome gasped as Inuyasha's eyebrow began to twitch uncontrollably. " I cannot believe I saved your pathetic life..." he growled.

Shippou merely sniffed in dismissal. "I could have handled the situation fine by myself. I didn't need you guys to intervene."

Kagome frowned. "Now wait, I know you've been through a hard time, but-"

"Get out."

The cold, dead pan words made the girl and kit freeze in their tracks. Inuyasha's glare had a deadly edge. "I may have saved your life, but I can take it away just as easily. You interrupted something important to me, plus you're not showing any gratitude for our efforts to save you. Get out until you can learn some respect." Inuyasha growled, and jerked his head towards the door. "And I mean now, brat."

Shippou bristled and bared his fangs. "Don't tell me what to do, half breed!"

"That's it!" Inuyasha snarled and dove for the kit. Shippou jumped out of the way, and Inuyasha leapt to his feet. "You are so dead, you little-"

"Inuyasha!"

The dog demon paused as Kagome barked his name and Shippou burst into laughter. "What Kagome?" He turned around to see the girl blushing furiously and keeping her eyes tightly closed, while she held the blanket up in her hands. The blanket that... the blanket!

"FUUUUCCCCKKK!"

In the kitchen four rooms away Kaede and Miroku looked at each other and laughed.

Inuyasha grabbed the blanket from Kagome and quickly tied it around his hips. He glared at Shippou who squeaked and ran out of the room. Clenching his teeth in frustration, he whirled and grabbed Kagome's shoulders. He shook the blushing girl slightly and growled. "Goddamnit Kagome, one of these damn days I **will** kiss you without and interruption!" Before he could think twice about it, he leaned forward and gave her a quick peck on the lips. "Keh." Blushing, the embarrassed half demon stomped out of the room.

Kagome blinked, frozen in her position. After a few minutes, she grinned, and burst into hysterical laughter.

From down the hallway, Inuyasha shouted, "Shut up! It wasn't **that** funny!".

Kagome chuckled and stood up, brushing herself off. As she stretched to help her body fully wake up, she smiled wryly. "Day five... gods protect me."

-----------

Lady Kaede had somehow managed to get all four kids to sit together at her kitchen table, and she tried to restrain a smile at the picture that they made. Inuyasha (who was still clad in only a towel) and Kagome sat next to each other in the middle, and both were avoiding the other's gaze while blushing. Shippou sat on Kagome's right and would randomly try to eat the placemat in front of him. Miroku sat to the left of Inuyasha and would sigh, look at his burnt designer jeans, then glare at Shippou. Kaede grinned, and settled her hands onto her hips. "All right, first things first. We're going to-"

"Can I have some pants?"

While the rest of the table laughed, Kaede frowned at the interrupting hanyou. "In a minute Inuyasha. First, all of you need to eat breakfast, which will give me time to find suitable clothes for the pant-less one. Then we will discuss Kagome's newfound powers," Inuyasha's eyebrows rose at this-"and then you can take your groceries home. They are, after all, currently taking up all of my available fridge space. Enjoy your breakfast." With these parting words, Kaede left to search for clothes for Inuyasha.

"FOOD!" Shippou took off in a flurry of fur to be the first in line for breakfast. Miroku shook his head and followed him at a safe distance. Kagome rose to follow, but winced as Inuyasha grabbed her injured wrist.

"Hold on a sec Kagome, what new powers do you have?" Inuyasha noticed her pained expression and quickly let go of her wrist. "What's wrong? Did I hurt you?"

Kagome shook her head, anxious to hide her injury and save Inuyasha from even more guilt. "Nothing Inuyasha, I'm fine. Aren't you hungry?"

Inuyasha frowned and gave her a serious look. "Don't lie to me Kagome. Is your wrist broken?"

She bit her lip in agitation. "Maybe."

"Kagome!"

"Well, what did you want me to say? No? It's broken and there's nothing we can do about it, except to wait for it to heal." Kagome shrugged and took a step back. "I'm hungry, we can talk about this later. Are you coming to get food or not?"

"I'm not moving until I get some damn pants."

The stressed out girl sighed, took a deep breath and grit her teeth at the hanyou's grumpy attitude. "Do you want me to bring you some food?"

"I don't care."

"That's the spirit." Kagome tried to smile and ruffled his hair. "I'll be right back."

"I'm not some damn puppy, you know!" he shouted as she walked away to get breakfast. "Keh." Yet he smiled at her actions anyway.

Thanks to Kaede's magic and medicine, Kagome had a small amount of ability to move her injured left wrist without pain. That, coupled with her experience as a part-time waitress, allowed her to get two plates of food with one and a half hands. Pancakes, omelets, bacon, fruit, muffins and pastries- there was a feast laid out for the guests. Kagome grabbed two of everything and headed back to the table, praying she wouldn't drop the delicious looking food. It had been a while since her last meal, and she was quite looking forward to stuffing herself.

Inuyasha got up to help her with the plates, even though he had proclaimed he wouldn't move without pants. "You try to do everything yourself, you stupid girl." He thanked her for the food, and joined the frenzy of eating at the table.

Kagome shook her head. It was amazing how moody and contradictory Inuyasha could be. Yet in-between all the insults and grumpiness, there was just a boy who wanted to be around other people. That, or he was bi-polar. Had he really kissed her earlier...?

"Inuyasha, here's some pants."

The hanyou paused mid-bite to stare at the gigantic red pants Kaede was holding up. He took note of the old woman's grin, and growled. "I said I wanted some pants, not a freakin' _tent_."

Kaede snorted and tossed the pants on the boy's head. "That's too bad for you then, because that's all I have here. Look, it even comes with a matching haori!"

As she burst into laughter, Inuyasha grabbed the outfit and stomped off to change. "I can't believe I'm actually going to wear this..."

Kaede took an empty chair at the table, and addressed the teens. "I don't know the story behind how this little group formed, but I can tell you it was no coincidence. Though you may not realize it, you guys are into something way bigger than you can imagine."

The frenzy of eating at the table slowly stopped, and the teens blinked at the old woman.

Inuyasha emerged, fully clothed. "How big?"

The group turned to look at the half demon, and a wave of awe passed through them. Kagome could only stare in wonder at Inuyasha. The clothes looked like they had been made especially for him, and they thoroughly enhanced his demon features. The outfit looked old, maybe even from the Sengoku Jidai period, and it gave Inuyasha an air of maturity and authority Kagome hadn't known he had possessed. Though he was simply standing in the doorway awaiting their reactions, looking at him seemed like looking back through time. What was the most strange was that the clothes seemed almost familiar to Kagome.

Lady Kaede nodded in approval. "They still fit."

Inuyasha rejoined the group at the table with a growl. "What do mean 'still' fit? I've never worn these crazy-ass clothes before."

"Your attitude is still as sour as ever, as well."

"Hey! Stop acting like you know me, you weird old woman. "

Kaede smiled. "I'm talking about a previous life, Inuyasha."

The all consuming silence that encompassed the room was unnerving. All eyes were focused on the old woman, curious and disbelieving. Miroku tugged on his ear to make sure he had heard right, and Shippou gave his food a cautious look.

Kagome clapped a hand to her forehead in total confusion. "Previous life... like, reincarnation? Kaede, what is going on here?"

Kaede's eyes flickered across the varied expressions on her guests' faces, and she was slightly worried by the hostile look that Inuyasha had. She shook off her concern and addressed the girl's question. "You, Inuyasha, Miroku, and Shippou were all a group in another life- the Sengoku Jidai era to be exact. It's a little complicated, and it's the reason you have miko powers- I don't really have time to explain it all today. Also, there's two other people that this involves- one of which is a young girl named Sango."

Miroku and Kagome both stood up at the same time. "Sango!

The pony-tailed boy shot a confused look at Kagome. "How do you know the lovely Sango?"

Kagome placed her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow. "She's my best friend. How do _you_ know her?"

"I went on a date with her the other night and-"

Inuyasha uncrossed his arms and leaned forward on the table, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "You sure seem to know a whole lot about us, you weird old woman. And I'm quite interested to know _how, _exactly, you know all this."

Kaede leaned back in her chair to ease some of the fire in Inuyasha's eyes. "I was involved with your past selves, and I was a miko, much like Kagome-"

"Which reminds me, what the hell is a miko, and why am I one?"

"A miko, Kagome, is a priestess with high spiritual powers. They are the balance against tainted spirits and evil youkai. A miko's most notable power is that of purification- you can purify youki, and cleanse tainted objects and people."

Kagome nodded, trying to absorb all the information "Ok. I think I understand that."

Inuyasha growled. "You still haven't answered my question yet, Kaede-baba."

Kaede narrowed her eyes at the insult, but continued anyway. "I told you Inuyasha, I was with your previous selves. I helped you guys in the Sengoku Jidai, and-"

The demon stood up, knocking his chair over. "I don't believe you!" he snarled. "This shit makes no sense. If you were with us in a previous life, then why are you still alive! And how come you're the only one who remembers all these details? I think you bought some really old clothes on ebay, and then roped an innocent girl and her friends into some insane story you just made up!"

The elder lady closed her eyes against the onslaught, and merely sat calmly. "I realize that this is very hard for you to accept Inuyasha, but it _is _true. If you'll please sit down, we have much to talk about."

"Like hell!" Inuyasha grabbed Kagome around her waist, and hauled her up out of her chair. "We're leaving right now. Kaede, thanks for your help and for fucking with our heads!"

"Inuyasha," Kagome said, a bit startled, "Wait a sec. We can't just leave. I need to figure out what my powers can do and-"

"We'll figure it out on our own." The enraged half demon shot a look at Miroku. "You coming?"

Miroku stood up and bowed to Kaede. "Thank you very much for all your help Lady Kaede." He then turned to Inuyasha. "Of course I'm coming. That's my car out there, after all."

Lady Kaede nodded back to Miroku and glared at Inuyasha. "You're being too hasty young pup, and it could result in more injury for all of you."

Kagome began to protest again, and Inuyasha growled and tossed her over his shoulder. "Whatever. Shippou, you can stay with the crazy lady or come with us. Your choice." With these parting words, he turned and left the kitchen, Kagome still over his shoulder and shouting.

Shippou looked frantically at the lady who had given him food, and the girl who had rescued him. Making his choice, he put his small paws together in thanks. "Thanks old lady, but I'll be leaving too." He jumped off the table and followed the group.

Kaede shook her head and stood up followed the group. She stopped at the front entrance to the store, which was currently closed for business. Inuyasha had set Kagome down next Miroku's car, and she was yelling her head off at the demon.

Kaede sighed and leaned against the door-frame. "Kagome?"

The young girl broke off her tirade against the demon, and turned a surprised look to the old woman. "Yes, Kaede?"

"I know Inuyasha won't believe me, but there is a way to prove that what I say is true. Do you know the old sacred well behind your house- the one close to the Goshinboku tree?"

Kagome nodded. "Yeah, we have it enclosed in a little well house. How did you know about that?"

Kaede frowned at the advice she was about to give, but plunged on ahead anyways. "Take a closer look at that well- but make sure you don't do it alone."

"Ok," Kagome nodded, very confused. "But what will that-"

"Enough!" Inuyasha growled, pushing the girl into the backseat next to Shippou. "We've heard plenty of psycho-babble for one day." Inuyasha joined Miroku in the front seat, and the car sped away.

Kaede passed a hand over her face and sighed. "Good luck Kagome. You'll need it."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kagome was pissed. Straight and simple, she was so mad she could barely see straight. As Miroku had quickly started the car and sped away from Kaede's store, she had wasted no time in giving Inuyasha a piece of her mind. However, the hanyou had lashed out right back at her. The girl had bit her tongue and remained silent for the rest of the ride, letting her anger stew and build while she thought it over. When Miroku pulled up next to the shrine's steps, Kagome jumped out of the car as quickly as she could.

"Oi, where do you think you're going?"

_Deep breaths, control the anger, don't kill him for being an idiot. _"I'm going inside, Inuyasha."

"We need to talk, so don't just go running off on -"

"SHUT UP!" She whirled from her position on the stairs to turn an enraged glare on Inuyasha. "Do you have any idea of what you just did? You insulted a close friend of mine, and took away my one source of information on the changes that are happening to me. I think I've handled everything that's happened so far pretty well, but you're pushing the limit Inuyasha! Don't think that because you gave me one little kiss, it gives you the right to control my LIFE!" The hands that had been steadily clenched against her sides quickly came up to cover her mouth as Kagome realized what she had just said.

Inuyasha's face turned a distinct shade of red as he growled at the girl. "You bitch, do you really think- Oi! Don't run away from me!"

But that's exactly what Kagome did. Without a second thought she had turned to bolt up the rest of the steps to the shrine, and run full tilt into her house.

Inuyasha was left at the bottom of the stairs growling, but as he tensed to jump the entire staircase, a sharp pain in his side caused him to gasp and fall to his knees. _Damnit, maybe carrying Kagome over my shoulder wasn't such a good idea._

He felt a hand help him to his feet, and support him up the stairs. "Thanks Miroku."

The other boy merely shook his head. "I think you just fucked up pretty badly, Inuyasha. You have to cut Kagome a little more slack. She's been thrown headfirst into a world she didn't believe existed, plus she's been putting up with _you_ for the past couple of days. She's probably stressed out beyond belief."

"Keh."

Miroku shook his friend to get his point across. "I mean it, you idiot. At least try to control your temper a bit more." As they reached the top of the stairs, Miroku let go of his friend. "Maybe you should just leave her alone for a little bit-"

"KAGOME!" Inuyasha ignored the words of his friend and stomped into the house. "Kag-"

Inuyasha's tirade abruptly cut off as he stopped at the sight in front of him. Miroku ran into his friend and scowled, then looked around the hanyou to see what had surprised him.

"Kikyou."

--------------------

When Kagome ran into the safety of her house, she had expected it to be empty. She did not expect a dark haired girl to be patiently waiting on her living couch for her. The unknown girl had stood upon Kagome's entrance, and she was struck by the resemblance between herself and the stranger.

"KAGOME!"

At Inuyasha's yell, she had tensed, every muscle prepared to run away. But where could she go? She had thrown herself, no holds-barred, into a situation that completely surprised her. Surprises were funny like that. Sometimes they were great, like finding $20 in your pocket, or sometimes they hit you like a bitch-slap to the face. Either way, the only certain thing about surprises was that you never knew when they would strike.

..._Man_...

"Kikyou."

At Inuyasha's proclamation, Kagome gave herself a mental shake. She had guessed as much, but having a 90 twin, one that she never knew existed, in her own house was throwing her groove off. _My life just gets weirder and weirder_ ...

"You BITCH!" Inuyasha had apparently snapped out of his shock, and made a quick lunge for Kikyou. The stoic girl said nothing, just merely side-stepped the irate hanyou. Inuyasha had no time to stop, and crashed head first into the couch, toppling it over backwards.

"Inuyasha, can you control yourself for two minutes? Um, Kikyou I take it? Can I ask why you were waiting for us in my house?"

The colder looking girl swept a piece of hair away from her face, and blinked. "I have been tracking Inuyasha for a while, and I was told that he might be here. I came to see if this rumor was true." One perfectly sculpted eyebrow rose slightly. "And somehow, he has managed to shake off my curse quite nicely."

Kagome laughed nervously. "Eheheehe... How about that? I don't mean to be rude, but-"

Kagome's back kitchen door slammed. "Kag, are you here? I brought-" As Sango entered the living room, whatever she had brought was suddenly forgotten. "... What the hell?"

Miroku immediately perked up. "SANGO!"

Sango's eye's widened, and she shook her head in denial. "Not you! Ohmigod, what are you doing here! NO! Stay away from me!"

As Miroku tried to corner Sango, she tried to edge her way out of his path, while picking up a heavy looking lamp as defense. Shippou chose that moment to find out what the big red button on the remote would turn on, and the Higurashi t.v. screeched into life, blaring some action gun-firing movie.

Inuyasha had learned how to stand once again and was growling at increasing decibels next to Kikyou. Kagome's hands fisted at her sides, trying to keep her calm. She needed to be rational, in control- _eeeek!-_ "INUYASHA! PUT THAT COUCH DOWN RIGHT NOW!"

The hanyou in question flattened his ears against his head. "Don't you tell me what to-"

"GAH! Shut UP! ALL OF YOU!" Kagome lost all pretense of calm as she glared at everyone in room. "Inuyasha, put the damn couch _down_, right now! Sango, I'm glad to see you and all, but can you not use my lamp as a weapon? Shippou, turn the t.v. off. Miroku! Back away from my best friend. And Kikyou..." here she fumbled for a moment, "... what exactly is your deal?"

Kikyou shrugged. "I see no reason for me to explain my plans to you. Even one who..." here a ghost of a smile played across her lips, "...is highly entertaining, such as yourself." She turned to glare over her shoulder at Inuyasha. "As for **you**, I hold no compassion whatsoever... what are you wearing?"

"Keh. Clothes."

"You look weird. However, I will finish what I started, whenever I see fit. Prepare yourself, Inuyasha." And without any further comments, Kikyou promptly left the shrine.

Kagome slumped into a nearby chair. "My life was normal once, I think..."

Shippou jumped into the tired girl's lap, and gave her a tiny hug of reassurance. Sango walked in a wide arch around Miroku, and crouched down next to Kagome's chair. "Hey, you all right?"

"I wish I knew."

Sango gave her friend a small punch on the arm. "Well, I don't know what in the world you got yourself into, but it looks like you distinctly need some sane feminine company around here. So I hope you don't mind if I stay and help you... um, fix your life."

Kagome smiled happily at her friend. "My savior!" she exclaimed, and Sango promptly found herself squashed in a giant hug-o-death from Kagome. "I owe you big time, Sango! I don't know how I'll repay you- oh! Yes I do! I'll hook you up with Keiji! You always wanted a date with him, anyways, right?"

A cough from Miroku brought Kagome and Sango's attention back to their male company. "As much as I would hate to interrupt the girl bonding, I'd like to talk about what just happened." The pony-tailed boy sighed, and rubbed his forehead. "I mean, ... that _did_ just happen, right? Kikyou wasn't merely a figment of my imagination?"

Inuyasha snorted, and threw himself down onto the now-right-side-up couch. "Keh. You can't imagine a person like that. She was here for damn sure, since her scent says as much."

Sango poked Kagome in the arm again. "Ok, I kinda know Miroku... but who's the other guy?"

Shippou piped up from his position on Kagome's lap. "That's Inuyasha. He's an idiot."

Sango squealed and picked up Shippou. "Ooooh, a kitsune! You're so cute!" As she hugged the little fox, she did a quick once over of Inuyasha. "And I'm guessing that.. Inuyasha, was it? Is half-youkai."

Kagome held up one finger in a motion for wait-a-damn-second. "You know about youkai? Am I the only one who didn't know demons and magic and all this other fairy tale stuff was real?"

Sango laughed self-consciously, and handed Shippou back to Kagome. "Well, my family is a group of youkai-hunters, so I kinda grew up with it. Sorry I never told you." She shrugged, slightly at a loss.

Kagome nodded. "Right." She stood up from her chair. "I'm gonna go take about ten tylenol, and knock myself out. Maybe the world will make sense tomorrow, when I wake up."

"Kagome, no - ACK! Miroku, do not touch me!" Sango slapped Miroku's hand and shot him a look. "Just, stay on the other side of the room, or something. Kagome! Don't do anything stupid!" She quickly chased her friend into the kitchen.

Miroku joined his hanyou friend on the couch. "Psh, girls. So... what do we do now?"

Inuyasha sighed. "All I know is that it's been one helluva day. I need some cheesy action movie with pointless violence, pronto." He clicked on the t.v. and leaned back into the couch. "Now that that other girl is here, maybe she can help knock some sense back into Kagome. If not, then I'll have to think of something else. But for now," he finally decided on a channel, "I'm gonna give her some time to chill out."

Miroku shook his head. "That's probably the best idea you've had all day."

"Never underestimate the power of laziness."

------------------------

Yep, that's it for this chapter. So what do you guys want to see happen next? I have an outline, but I'm open for any ideas. Throw 'em at me! And thanks for reading minna-san, you guys are the best! - Ja!


	9. Exactly

Author notation thingy: Mmmm white chocolate covered pretzels are delicious. And college has taken over my life, ack. XD However, being an understanding bunch, I'm sure you guys don't mind. Heh heh ... yeah.

- On a bigger note, I've reread this story a million times, trying to figure out how I want my work and style to turn out. I know LSDL is choppy and whatnot, and I've been trying to fix it. Sometimes it works, others... ehhh. I kinda want to scrap the story and begin a new one, but this is my babeeeeh, so I need to see it through to the end. To all you guys who have been with me from the beginning (or who have just now joined) you rock, and your support is wonderful. Just wanted to say thanks, and that I treasure every review. Especially the crazy ones. -

blah blah, too much author babbling. Story time!

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Chapter 9 : Exactly

After a very long conversation, a pint of chocolate-peanut butter Haagen-Dazs, and some angry words at the world in general, Sango had gotten a general idea of what her best friend had gone through in a week. As a demon huntress herself, the youkai side of the story didn't surprise her. What did interest her though, was how Kagome had gotten sucked into the reverse reality.

"So you just... brought the dog home? Which then turned into Inuyasha? I'm guessing this has something to do with your newfound powers, and why the creepy chick Kikyo is after you?"

Kagome got up from her seat and tossed her spoon into the sink. "It's because I'm a miko. We talked to Kaede to try and figure out some sort of reasoning behind all of this, but she started talking about past lives, and Inuyasha got pissed. She also mentioned something about a well..." Kagome slammed her palms against the sink. "That's what I've got to do! Maybe if I follow her advice, I can-"

Ding dong.

Kagome's moment of revelation was broken by the sound of a persistent doorbell. "Who in the -" She walked curiously to the front door, but was intercepted by Inuyasha in the living room.

The hanyou gave her a piercing look, and took ahold of her by the shoulders. "Are you alright now? None of this OD on Tylenol shit?"

Kagome sighed, and reminded herself that Inuyasha was probably the most emotionally challenged guy she'd ever met. "Yes, Inuyasha, I'm fine. Talking to Sango helped-"

Ding dong ding dong ding dong.

"-And now I have to go answer the door. So if you don't mind..."

Inuyasha snorted and pushed the girl back onto the couch. "Actually, I do mind. In case you haven't noticed, people are after us. Kikyo just waltzed right into your damn house, so I think I'll answer the door."

There was really only so much a girl could take. Spilling her sob story to Sango had helped, but Inuyasha was only flaring her anger up once again. How _dare_ her order her around in her own home! And what if it was one of her friends from school? She didn't even want to know what they would do at the sight of an angry dog demon.

Sango emerged from the kitchen. "Hey, I thought you were gonna answer the door- whoa." She was cut off from two angry looks from Kagome and Inuyasha. "Yeah, I'll just let you guys handle that. Miroku?" She winced, and took a deep breath. "Why don't you help me with something in the kitchen?"

Miroku raised himself from his comfortable position on the Higurashi couch, and cracked his back. "Sango, if you want to make out with me, you have only to-"

A swift punch to the face quickly ended the boy's train of thought, as Sango dragged him into the kitchen. "No decency."

DING DING DING DINGALINGDINGDINGDING DONG!

Kagome and Inuyasha stared off, as the girl tried to figure out a way to hurl past the demon. His physical abilities were way beyond anything she could hope to manage, so all she really had was the element of surprise.

Inuyasha smirked as he watched the girl try to figure out a way to get past him. She would fail of course, and then she would just have to submit to his protection. It was just that easy, if only she wouldn't resist so much.

The sound of the front door opening had the pair on alert. "...Higurashi...?

A soft, hesitant male voice had Inuyasha snarling and whirling towards the door. Kagome's eyes widened, and with a worried "Oh shit," she did the only thing she could think of to save the innocent boy from getting mauled.

"Inuyasha, SIT!"

The front door was pushed fully open, and Houjo came into the Sunset shrine to find the biggest purely white dog he had ever seen, sitting on a pile of clothes in front of Kagome.

The girl herself seemed slightly out of breath, and she seemed to be restraining the dog by a sort of choke hold around the neck. On closer inspection, the dog actually seemed pretty pissed.

Houjo merely waved his thoughts away, and gave the beautiful girl a smile and a wave. "Higurashi! I didn't know that you owned a dog! I guess you learn something new every day." And with a short laugh he reached down to pet the beautiful dog.

"Ah, Houjo! I don't think that's such a good idea!" Kagome quickly yanked the dog Inuyasha away from Houjo's outstretched hand. If his curled lip and low growl was any indication, Inuyasha had planned on taking a chunk out of the stupid boy's hand. "It's such a surprise to see you here, um... why, exactly are you here again?"

Houjo smiled once again and gave a small bow. Polite to the core, the boy was. "Well, after I had met you at the mall, " here the boy's smile dampened considerably, "With your good... friend Inuyasha, I met another girl who looked just like you. She had asked where she could find the sunset shrine, and I gave her directions. My head was still hurting pretty badly at that point, and I didn't realize until later that I had no idea who she was. I just wanted to check and make sure that she had gotten here all right, and there wasn't any emergency. I always like to be of help."

The caliber of the dog's growl grew, and Kagome had a good idea of what Inuyasha was thinking. She tried to push the dog towards the kitchen, but with a snort and a low 'woof', Inuyasha flopped to the floor and refused to move.

Houjo chuckled. "Stubborn thing, isn't she?"

Kagome shook her head. "You have no idea. Inu here is... wait, did you say she?"

The boy shrugged. "Your dog is female, right?"

Kagome's outburst of laughter had the boy doubting his assumption. The dog in question almost seemed to glare at him, but that was impossible. Houjo tried to focus his attention back onto Kagome, and ignore the clicking of paws on hardwood flooring. He had just about accomplished his task when he felt a sudden wetness around his ankle.

The dog had just peed all over his lower leg.

Kagome's laughter had paused, but upon seeing the look on Houjo's face, it sprang back up full force. The dog sat right in front of Houjo, staring as if asking him to do something. The poor boy could only look back and forth from his leg to the dog in wonder.

Kagome seemed to regain control of her body, and gave a small attempt to scold the 'dog'. "Bad Inu! We do that outside! Now, c'mon you, let's get into the kitchen. " She gave Houjo an amused glance. "Let me get some paper towels for you Houjo, sorry about that. He's not trained yet, and well... I'll be right back. "

After Kagome had gotten Houjo and her floor cleaned up, she kindly escorted the boy outside. She explained that Kikyo was (bleh) a friend of the family, and she was just visiting since she was in town. And wasn't it nice that Houjo had helped her find her way? Maybe next time Houjo could give any people asking for directions the phone number for the shrine instead though, just so the family could be prepared for unexpected visitors.

Houjo was slightly bewildered, but happy to comply with Kagome's request. Kagome waved from the top of the shrine steps as the goofy kid dissapeared down the street. With a sigh, she slumped and sat on the top step. "Universe one, Kagome zero."

'Woof'. Inuyasha joined Kagome on the steps, and sat down next to her.

Kagome glared at the dog . "And you're insane! I can't believe you peed on Houjo!" She shook her head and grinned. "I have to admit though, it was pretty funny."

Inuyasha barked twice and lay down, leaning half his weight against the girl. Kagome absently stroked his ears, earning a low rumble of approval. "You know dog-boy, we got a lot of issues to work out between us. Starting with this whole 'order Kagome around' thing."

Insert growl here.

Kagome rapped her knuckles quickly on his furry head, "None of that. I know you're just trying to protect me and whatever, but I'm a big girl. I did save your doggy butt, after all."

If a 'woof' could sound disgruntled, Inuyasha definitely pulled it off.

"Right. You're welcome. I don't know what we're going to do about Sango and Miroku, I still need my groceries, and I'm sorry that the only other one of my friends you've met has been an idiot. Houjo's harmless... when he's not trying to help people. Augh, I don't know." She picked up a stray stone and bounced it down the lower stairs. "I'd really like to investigate more of what Kaede was saying. It doesn't make any sense, but there has to be some reason behind all of this. "

By the snort from her fuzzy companion, Kagome guessed that Inuyasha disagreed with some of her theories.

She really did believe in Kaede. The old woman's speeches had made the girl's head spin, but she trusted the woman as much as family. With everything else that had turned her life upside down, why not toss in some reincarnation as well? Well... The well! She'd totally forgotten about the well! And with Inuyasha stuck in his full dog form...

Kagome's abrupt standing caught Inuyasha's attention. Even though he was in dog-mode, he still had most of his hanyou mind intact. The girl was glancing between him and the house, and he could tell that she was up to something. Without a word, she turned and walked at a forced slow pace towards the house.

Uhoh.

Kagome tried to act as normal as possible as she entered the house. If her math skills were still functioning right, then Inuyasha had been under her spell for a little over an hour. That gave her plenty of time to sneak towards the well. Now all she had to do was warn Sango and Miroku.

...Who were kissing in her kitchen!

"What the hell?" Kagome paused, one hand braced against the door as she stared at her two friends. Miroku had pinned Sango against the sink, and at her voice the two had jumped apart.

Sango stammered, her face completely red. "Kagome! Hey! Um...yeah, Miroku and I-"

"Your friend Sango is incredibly hot, and I felt it an injustice not to pay homage to her lips."

Both Sango and Kagome stared in wonder at Miroku. "I don't even know what you just said, but I'm pretty sure that it's a compliment to her. That's not the point. I can deal with you two later. Houjo was at the door, I turned Inuyasha to his dog form, he peed on Houjo, Houjo's gone, and since Inuyasha is still stuck as a dog, I'm gonna take the chance to check out the well. I need you two guys to stay here and keep an eye on him, ok?"

Sango and Miroku started to agree, but were interupted when an angry growl cut them off.

Miroku grinned. "We don't mind Kagome, but I don't think Inuyasha likes your plan."

The dog in question had just walked into the kitchen, and had probably heard most, if not all of Kagome's request. Realizing she was busted, she took a deep breath and bolted out the door.

"Ahh, Kagome, wait!" Sango tried to stop her friend, but Miroku pulled the girl back.

"I think this is something they need to sort out alone, Sango."

_Damnit, damnit, damnit, so close! _Kagome could hear Inuyasha barking behind her, and she was within steps of the well house. She threw the door open and jumped into the house, just seconds before Inuyasha barreled in after her. The girl jumped to one side of the well, and peeled off the wards that her grandfather had used to seal the ancient structure.

Inuyasha barked again at Kagome, and he bit down on a leg of her pants to stop her. Kagome was focused, and refused to let Inuyasha distract her. She shoved the cover off the well, and tugged her leg back from the dog.

Of course, Inuyasha didn't let go either, so Kagome's pants ripped up the seam to about her mid thigh.

"GOD-...Inuyasha, you idiot!" Glaring full force at the dog, she fisted her hands at her sides. The intensity of her stare had Inuyasha pause in his quest to stop her. "These were my favorite jeans you moron! I can't believe that-god, aw, damnit! Screw you, I'm going to find out what Kaede meant about the well!" As Kagome's temper increased, a pulse of energy started to form from within the well. "You can either help me, or just work against me. Either way, I don't care. When I brought you home to help you, I threw myself headfirst into whatever mess you're stuck in. So now it's my problem too, and I'm going to fix it. So deal with it." With a final glare, Kagome vaulted over the side of the well and into the energy that had formed. A quick intake of breath, and she was gone.

Inuyasha stared at the spot where Kagome had been only moments before, he swore in his canine mind and jumped after her. Within seconds, he disappeared without a trace.

_Still alive, still breathing, fully clothed, all vital organs still intact...and full of pain! Ouch! _"Owwwww, ow ow ow OW." Kagome sat up and rubbed her head. "Jumping into a well is not comfortable in the least." From her position in the dirt, she looked around her enclosure. "Wow, it's really bright down here."

"Great, that way I can see you better so I can kick your ass, you stupid girl!"

Kagome whirled around at the sound of Inuyasha's voice. "How... you were just a dog like two seconds ago!"

Inuyasha was sprawled against one of the walls of the well, his piercing glare showing just how angry he was. "Maybe God decided to give me a break for once." He stood up slowly, never taking his eyes off Kagome's. "Do you have any idea how much danger you just put yourself in?" Kagome could have sworn that his eyes actually _flashed_.

"Umm..."

The boy was fully naked and slightly roughed up from their chase and jump into the well. Kagome's attention was abruptly shifted however, when the boy grabbed her shoulders and shoved her against one of the well walls. "You better fucking pay attention girl, because I'm not playing around here!"

"Inuyasha, I understand, I just.. um... you don't have any-"

Inuyasha's deep and menacing growl cut her off as his grip intensified. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, visibly trying to calm his rage. When his eyes opened, there was a tint of red to the edges. "Kagome, I know. It doesn't matter. I'm trying to talk to you about your _life_ here, so clothes don't make a damn bit of difference."

Kagome puffed out her cheeks and shrugged her shoulders. "Alright, fine. Just ease up a bit, I think I'm bruising over here."

Inuyasha nodded and slackened his grip, though his hands remained at her shoulders. He softly knuckled her chin up so she met his gaze, and he nodded. After a few moments of silence, he shook his head. "Damnit Kagome. You shouldn't mess with powers that you don't understand."

Kagome gave the boy a confused look. "What do you mean?"

The hanyou chuckled slightly, and ran a hand through his hair as he turned away. "Exactly." He slid down the wall across from Kagome, situating himself in a position of modesty. "Humor me, and explain to me what you _think_ just happened."

"Well..." Kagome sighed and joined Inuyasha on the floor. "Kaede had told me to check out the well, so that's what I did. I don't know what I expected to find, I just knew I had to do it fast so you wouldn't stop me."

Inuyasha gave a predatory grin and waved a hand. "Dead on. Any clue as to _why_ I would want to stop you?"

Kagome glared. "Cut the high and mighty crap out, Inuyasha. You try to stop me from doing plenty of stuff, claiming it's for my protection. "

Inuyasha snapped. "Ex-fucking-zactly. _Protection._ I'm a hanyou, infused with ancient magic in my youkai blood. So I have a sixth sense for freaky, messed up shit. And you know what? The well _reeked_ of messed up shit."

Kagome rolled her eyes towards the opening of the well. "How was I supposed to know- uh oh."

A snort from the hanyou. "Damn straight uh oh."

"There's not supposed to be open sky above the well."

"Nope."

"Inuyasha..." Kagome nervously tapped her fingers against her thigh. "What, exactly, did I do?"

"You sent us back in time, idiot. Good job."

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Ok, I know this is a bit shorter than usual. But I figured that this was a nice little spot to end, and then you guys get to read a new chapter faster. Wheeee! XD

Quick question: how many people like to have a naked Inuyasha prance around? And what color would you like his borrowed hakama to be? - 3


	10. Let's do the time warp

**Extremely awesome rambling of that author girl: **Minna-sannnnnn! Hey all. It's been much too long, ne? cracks knuckles Let's see if we can get a tune outta this old… erm, story. I've missed fanfiction, dearly. If anyone cares, I'm soon to be 21, and reaching that chaos called adulthood. Gross. XD But I've been writing while gone, and have yet another story lined up besides LSDL. I haven't been active in the fanfiction community for a few years, so I'm a bit out of the loop. I hope even with the end of the Inuyasha anime the fan community is still going strong. - Which reminds me!

**SAVE INUYASHA!** There's a petition online for the rest of the manga to be animated. Please sign it loves! Take the spaces out, and go here: **www . go petition . com / petitions / Inuyasha . html**

**A quick thanks to: **Torachi, Rebel Writer, Getsurei, Captain Applesauce, Artemis Moon, Varethane, Aoura Maiden, Silver Dragon 2488, HopelesslyEscaflowne, xXSoMeOneXx, The Fluffy Muffin Queen, and Falconstar for the exceptional reviews that kicked my butt into finishing this next chapter.

**Also: **_1134 reviews!!! _I never thought I'd break 1,000! You guys amaze me. -

Do what you all do best! Read and review, tell me your thoughts.

(all craziness welcome!)

Enjoy. -

**Chapter Ten: Let's Do the Time Warp.**

"Just…a little… bit… further, _ack!_" Kagome tumbled headfirst over the side of the well, getting nicely acquainted with the grass. Which apparently was the same as the grass back home. Well, duh. Grass wasn't really apt to change that much over time, was it? Speaking of, what "time" exactly was she in? _This is like some bad "Back to the Future" remake. Where's McFly? I guess that's me. That makes Inuyasha the Doc! _

Laughing, she flopped onto her back and stared up into the clear blue of the overhead sky. Her head hurt, and Inuyasha was- Inuyasha! She bolted back upright, her head angrily protesting the back and forth movement. "Inuyasha, what's taking you so long?"

"Keh!"

A quick glance at the well revealed two fluffy white ears barely peeking over the rim of the well. They were twitching in annoyance, no doubt because Kagome had managed to put him in a clothes-less situation _again. _One day he was definitely going to get her back for all of this. _Crap._

His snort echoed through the recess of the well. "Damnit Kagome. You seem to have this thing for getting me naked." He pulled himself up a bit more, and Kagome saw a sly grin to go with those cute ears. "If you want me that bad, just tell me bitch."

"Don't kid yourself, Dog-boy." Blushing red, she turned away to stare at the safe trunk of a giant tree. "Besides, that's how you looked for our original human to hanyou conversation. First impressions stick and all that."

"Well, do what you did then. Find me some fucking clothes." He shook his head wryly. "I am _so_ tired of this."

"Yeah? Me too. Maybe you should try and find some clothes by _yourself_!" She narrowed her eyes at the tree, imagining it as the ever-demanding Inuyasha. "You make a terrible Doc."

"Huh?"

She tilted her head to the side, imagination taking over as she put Inuyasha in goggles, a lab coat, and char marks. _Then again… he's got the white hair, and eccentricity…_

"Kagome."

"What." She snapped back to glaring at the tree. _Head still hurting… need Tylenol._

"_Kagome._"

"What?!"

"Damnit bitch! Calm down!" Inuyasha sighed loudly. "I'm about as confused as you are, alright? But right now, all we've got is each other. So even though you _drive me insane_, I want you right by my side until we figure all this shit out. Ok?"

All the anger suddenly _whooshed_ out of Kagome, and she felt very, very tired. "I know… you're right Inuyasha. What should we do?"

"Let's find someone to ask where we are."

She nodded. "Sounds good. What about… um… clothes?"

Inuyasha sighed heavily. "Let me climb out of this damn well… and do the sit thing."

"You sure?"

"Don't make me think about it."

"Gotcha." She waited until the rustling sounds of his emergence out of the well stopped. "You ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be. Last chance for peeks, Kagome"

She glared again at the innocent tree, refusing to turn around and see the smirk he was sure to be wearing. "_Oh… you… __**sit**__!!" _

And nothing happened.

She turned around, expecting the white fluffy dog Inuyasha. What she was _not_ expecting to see was Inuyasha sitting next to the well, eyes scrunched shut, awaiting the change. Kagome frowned.

"Sit."

Inuyasha popped an eye open. "Maybe you're too far away."

Kagome gulped, and took a step forward. "SIT."

Pause.

Inuyasha cracked a grin. "I am."

"Not funny, unless you find it hilarious to be stuck walking around a foreign forest naked."

The grin slipped quickly off his face, replaced with slowly dawning comprehension. "Try it again!"

Kagome marched directly in front of Inuyasha, and took a deep breath. "Inuyasha, sit!"

"…Shit."

Two hours later, Kagome and Inuyasha were entrenched deeply in forest, and unknowingly walking in the _opposite_ direction of Kaede's village. Which would have been helpful to find, but they didn't know that yet.

"This sucks." Inuyasha was walking a few feet behind Kagome, her sweater fashioned around his hips in an attempt at modesty. She had laughed for the first fifteen minutes of their walk, until he had offered it back. She told him to keep it, permanently.

Kagome had thought she'd be a bit cold in a simple t-shirt and jeans (with the ripped leg flapping annoyingly every time she took a step) as Inuyasha now had possession of her sweater, but the trek through the woods was keeping her warm. Her main worry was that they were lost. Very lost- as in a map would be crunched up and thrown away, and a compass would be stomped into oblivion.

"This _really_ sucks."

Kagome whirled around to face Inuyasha. "I heard you the first time! Perhaps you'd like to lead?" She tried to hold onto her annoyance, but the sight of Inuyasha in the loincloth-skirt-sweater was too much. She broke posture and held her stomach as she burst into laughter.

Inuyasha glared. "Well, I'm glad you're having fun, because I'm -" he paused, and his ears perked up, picking up some approaching noise.

"Because you're a badly outfitted George of the jungle?"

He shot another death glare at the giggling girl, still concentrating on that far away sound.

Kagome wiped the tears from her eyes, and stood back up straight. "I'm sorry Inuyasha, it's just too funny. You know I-" she was cut off as Inuyasha suddenly pounced and dragged her forward, running. "Hey! What's going on?!"

"Shhh! I hear people up ahead. I think there may be a road."

"Oh. Great! Maybe we can ask them for directions… to… somewhere."

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. "Maybe. Maybe not. Now be quiet."

They slowed their pace and quietly approached the area where Inuyasha had heard the noise of talking people. He motioned for Kagome to crouch down next to him, hidden safely behind a large bush.

"Hey, there's a dirt road!" Kagome whispered emphatically. "Shouldn't we follow it?"

"Not yet. We don't know when or where we are, so let's see what these people are like before we make our presence known." He watched the road expectantly. "It might be dangerous here."

Kagome blinked, impressed by the forward thinking of the hanyou. She was struck by the realization that as powerful as Inuyasha seemed, living his life as a hanyou had taught him caution. A wave of respect washed through her, and she nodded in agreement.

The footsteps approached, and Kagome heard the cajoling of a group of men. They were all outfitted in battered armor, complete with katana and topknots. Kagome's eyes widened as she watched them walk past on the dirt road. _What the hell?_

They both sat quietly for a few minutes, watching the men, and listening to the slightly different dialect. Kagome was completely absorbed, drinking in the presence of these locals of the past. _I can totally use this in my history final when I get back home, this is great!_

"Oi! Assholes! One of you want to lend me a pair of pants?"

Kagome blinked. That sounded like Inuyasha. But that was impossible, he was right next… to… she stared at the empty spot where her companion had been just moments ago. Her eyes shot back to the road, and sure enough there he was. Standing proud and defiant in next to nothing. "Inuyasha!" she hissed, "What are you _doing_?"

"Getting some better clothes. Now shut up and stay hidden. Those are bandits."

"_What?!" _All that newfound respect for his thinking flew out the proverbial window.

Sure enough, the group of men- no, bandits, had turned around at Inuyasha's shout. After drawing their katana, they strolled slowly back towards the hanyou. One of the scrawnier ones leaned his katana against his shoulder while scoping Inuyasha out. He spit rudely, and snickered. "You say something, stranger?"

Inuyasha smirked, pointed canine teeth shining in a purely predatory way. "I said, you look like an idiot."

The bandit frowned in confusion. "No you didn't."

"Well, I just did."

"What did you say before that?"

"I said that you couldn't hit a tree with that broken down katana even if it was right in front of your face, idiot."

"Hey!" The rest of the group formed a circle around Inuyasha, awaiting the reaction of their friend. The bandit scowled and picked at his teeth. "That's not what you said either."

Inuyasha shrugged, and crossed his arms. "You're right. Now I'm just insulting you."

From her hiding spot, Kagome winced. _What is he doing?_

The scrawny bandit spit again, and leveled his katana at Inuyasha. "I don't like your attitude, boy. I think I'll use you as my new practice target." He spread his arms wide, including the rest of his group. "Feel like teaching this punk a lesson, guys?" The rest of the men guffawed greedily at the chance for some bloodshed, and tightened the circle around the hanyou.

Inuyasha leaned into a defensive stance, and upped the wattage on his grin. "Bring it."

"Inuyasha, no!" Kagome jumped up from her crouch behind the handy bush. "You're way outnumbered!"

The bandits looked in confusion at Kagome. "What the hell… is that a woman?"

A short, fat bandit licked his lips. "Hey little flower, why don't you come over here?"

Inuyasha growled. "Kagome, you stupid girl! I told you to stay hidden!"

She splayed her hands out, completely at a loss. "I didn't want you to get hurt!"

"I'll be fine!"

"Well excuse me for caring!"

The bandits quickly grew bored of watching the exchange, and half moved anxiously towards Kagome. The other half approached Inuyasha, ready for a brawl.

The hanyou merely snorted. "Morons."

Before Kagome could even blink, Inuyasha was a whirlwind of action. With well placed punch after punch, the bandits fell easily, without the time to even swing their weapons. Kagome stood in amazement as Inuyasha dusted his hands off, and began to search for the cleanest and sizeable clothes to wear.

There were easily fifteen bandits, all knocked unconscious in a minute flat.

"Whoa. Inuyasha…"

"Hnn?" He looked up from his task of de-clothing the least disgusting bandit.

Kagome paused in awkward silence for a moment. "You're really strong."

A weird look passed through Inuyasha's golden eyes before he quickly looked away. "Whatever. Just a bunch of poorly trained humans." He continued on with his task, and Kagome averted her gaze to give him privacy to change. When he was done, he called her over. "We're going to follow this road and hope it leads to a fucking town. I'm hungry." And just like that, he continued on.

Kagome caught up and walked at a steady pace next to Inuyasha. "Don't you think you should take a katana?"

"Don't need it."

"Yeah, I guess you just proved that."

And again, there was that weird look in his eyes. Kagome frowned in concentration, trying to analyze his look without his knowledge. It looked like… shame. Her eyes widened. That was it. A combination of shame, guilt, and pain?

"Inuyasha stop it."

He glared at her. "The hell are you talking about, bitch?"

Kagome stopped walking, and turned. The pile of bandits was well out of sight now. Inuyasha was a sight to see in his stolen, ancient- well, not ancient in their present location- outfit. With that hard look of pain and shame in his eyes, he was the conflicting image of a hardened fighter and kind boy in the same body. She slowly reached her hand up and tenderly brushed a streak of dirt off of his cheek. The frosty golden gaze softened a bit, and Kagome smiled. "Inuyasha, I meant no insult. I'm not afraid of you, we've been through this."

Inuyasha sighed and glanced away, but grasped her hand when she pulled away. "I know."

Kagome grinned. "Perhaps a bit awed and intimidated, but not afraid. I could still take you in Mario Kart any day."

Inuyasha looked back with a hesitant smile in his eyes. "Weirdo."

She launched herself at Inuyasha, encasing him in a tight hug. He stood stiff for a minute, before his arms came up and tightly embraced her back. Smiling, Kagome privately enjoyed the moment of closeness before pulling away. "So cheer up dog-boy! Let's go find some food."

Inuyasha nodded, and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear, golden eyes warm. "Wonder if they have anything good to eat in this place. I'm starved."

Half an hour later, the duo entered a small rural village. The forest had given way to rice paddies and vegetable fields, then residential huts. The further they continued into the village, the more people took notice of them. Then the whispering started.

"Look at that girl's weird clothes!"

"That boy looks like a youkai, but he's wearing the clothes of a bandit!"

"They must be youkai…"

"What do they want with our village?"

"Come to steal our food, no doubt."

As the whispers graduated to plain speaking and poorly veiled insults, Inuyasha's temper worsened. Kagome inched closer to the hanyou, trying to hide her obviously out of place clothing. "What should we do, Inuyasha?"

He spoke quietly, but his gaze was alert and assessing their surroundings. "I'm not sure."

"You there! Youkai! Get out of here, we've been terrorized enough by your kind!"

"Looks like they're not scared anymore," Inuyasha mumbled.

The proclamation had come from a teenage boy, who stood defiantly in their path. Kagome and Inuyasha stopped, unsure what to do. Inuyasha anxiously cracked his knuckles, unwilling to hurt a young human boy. Kagome quietly slipped her hand into his in a silent show of support and comfort.

"That's quite enough." An elderly man walked out into the road and gave a small bop to the top of the teen boy's head. "You should show respect to our honored guests… even though they do not wear their normal attire."

Kagome and Inuyasha exchanged confused glances. _Honored guests?_ Sounded better than terrorizing youkai.

The old man pushed the boy out of the road, and motioned for the pair to follow him. "This way if you please, Inuyasha-sama and Kagome-sama."

Kagome's mouth dropped opened in surprise, and Inuyasha jerked at hearing his own name with the attached honorific. The old man started to shuffle away, and they followed at a safe distance.

"Sama? Inuyasha, how does he know who we are? And why the title?" Kagome whispered.

"Maybe that old bat Kaede was onto something. Other than that, I have no fucking clue."

The old man eventually stopped in front of the nicest looking residence in town. He turned, and bowed. "Please excuse my rudeness. My name is Tanaka, and I am the owner of this humble inn. If it would please you two samas, please take comfort in my inn for a night."

Kagome stepped forward and bowed back. "Thank you very much Tanaka-san. If you don't mind me asking, how do you know who we are?"

The old man nodded. "Yes, of course. Excuse me. I was visiting the miko Kaede-sama a few months back, and happened to see you two pass by. Tales of your accomplishments have not gone unheard in our village, and if it wouldn't be too much trouble, I'd like to ask a favor. But first, I do believe a hot bath and food is in order for you two. This way please."

_Kaede-sama_. The magic word. Not only was she onto something, she apparently lived in the Sengoku-Jidai. Kagome frowned, wondering how she suddenly knew what time period they were in. She shot a look at Inuyasha, only to find him searching her gaze.

"Sengoku-Jidai?" he asked.

"Yep," she nodded.

"Fuck, this is getting weird." He flexed his hand at his side, wishing he could do _something_ to explain the situation all at once. "Should we trust the oji-san?"

"He said he knew Kaede, and I am hungry. Let's trust him for now, but keep an eye out."

"Hnn."

Tanaka-san called for a maid to set up the baths, and chatted with the duo while it was being prepared. When it was ready, he motioned for Inuyasha to follow him. "Inuyasha-sama, if you would be so kind as to follow me, I'll show you to your bath. Kagome-sama, our maid Eiko-chan here will show you the women's bath."

Kagome hesitated, and Inuyasha tersely shook his head. He mouthed "_by my side_", and looked back at Tanaka. "Sorry oji-san, but I'm afraid we can't do that. We'll take turns in the bath."

Tanaka looked back and forth between the two, noting the stiff posture and wary eyes. He sighed. "Times have become so dangerous that even the kindness of strangers is questioned." Kagome moved to explain, but Tanaka merely waved a hand. "Do not worry child, I mean you no harm. Taking turns in the bath will be fine. This way please," and with a weathered smile, began to shuffle forward and lead the way.

_Hot water is one of the greatest things in the world, _Kagome thought as she slowly sank into the welcoming water. Inuyasha was stationed right outside the door, ready in case anything should happen. She enjoyed the healing effect the water had on her body, and quickly washed. After she and Inuyasha had both cleaned up, they were shown to adjoining changing rooms and presented with fresh clothes. Kagome ran the dark blue fabric of the outfit between her fingers, amazed at the sturdiness of the cloth. _There's nothing like this back home._ She held the shirt up, eyeing the size. _Looks a bit big though._

She jumped as she heard the shoji door slam open next to her. Throwing on the changing robe, she peeked out the door to see a highly pissed Inuyasha scowling at the heavens.

… In a light purple kimono with pink sakura details.

Inuyasha threw his arms wide, clearly frustrated, and shouted at the sky. "Whatever clothing god or deity I've pissed off, I'm _sorry_ ok?! _All I want is some pants! _Gimme a fucking break already, _shit!_"

The stress of the day finally took a hold of Kagome, and she slowly slid down the door, collapsing into a heap of laughter. Inuyasha whipped around and Kagome could only point at the kimono, still laughing. He stalked towards her, looking ready to burst, until she held up a hand and cleared her throat. "Inuyasha, I think these were meant for you. They're much too big for me."

The hanyou blinked, and looked at the clothing Kagome was holding. A pair of dark blue hakama pants, hitoe shirt and an accompanying white kosode. His eyes feasted on the clothing as if it were made of pure gold. "Pants! Thank fucking god!" In his excitement, he grabbed Kagome's shoulders and planted a firm kiss on her lips. As he pulled away, the barest blush could be seen on his cheeks.

Kagome's face was no doubt beet red. She tossed the blue clothing into his arms, and motioned for him to change. He did so quickly in the other room, and presented her with the purple kimono. Where the hakama and hitoe had been sturdy, the kimono was smooth and soft, made of silk. A yellow obi, thick socks, and a pair of straw sandals completed the outfit. All in all, Kagome felt refreshed, and… pretty. She smoothed her hands along the silk, enjoying the sensation against her hand. _I wonder what Inuyasha will think. _She shook her head, trying to concentrate on the whacked out situation at hand. _A_ c_hange of clothes, and I think I'm ready to face this dream like reality._

She snorted. _Right. Keep telling yourself that, girl._

A soft knock moved her attention to the door. "Kagome-sama, Tanaka-san requested that I inform you dinner is prepared."

Kagome slid the door open, and thanked the maid. Inuyasha was waiting, a slight frown on his face. He did a slow once over of Kagome, and jerked his head. "You ready to eat?"

Back in the present, Sango and Miroku were trying to take care of Shippo. And failing.

"Shippo! Do not set the couch on fire, Mrs. Higurashi will be pissed!" Sango snatched the charcoal lighter out of the kitsune's hands as he pouted.

"Where's Kagomeeeeeeeeee, I'm hungryyyyyyy."

Miroku was calmly watching the pair in a comfortable side chair. "That couch has been through a lot today. Inuyasha throwing it around, falling over it, now Shippo's arson-tendencies…"

Sango placated the kitsune with a cookie, throwing a glare at the pony-tailed boy. "You could help out, you know."

"Did I mention that I'm an excellent cook?"

"The last time I had dinner with you, your hand found it's way to my ass!"

"I couldn't help but show my appreciation of such fine artwork."

"Perverted moron."

As it turned out, Miroku was indeed a great cook. The Higurashi kitchen was still a bit bare (all the groceries were still in Kaede's extra freezers) but he managed to throw together a fine pasta dish. After eating, Shippo had passed out on the abused couch with an old blanket. That left Miroku and Sango to clean the dishes. The pair worked together in silence, both quietly worrying about the two who had disappeared down the well.

Sango paused scrubbing a dish, and sighed. "When do you think they'll be back?" A few seconds ticked by, and Sango turned to assess the holy man. "Miroku?"

Said holy nodded absently, not finishing his task of drying the pan in his hands. His attention was fixed on something outside the kitchen window. "I have a feeling it may be a little while, Sango."

"Why do you say that?"

"I don't believe it is normal for bees to pour out of old enchanted wells."

Sango whipped around to look at the well house, and sure enough, droves of bees were exiting the well in an abnormally straight line. The slayer set her dish back in the sink. "Wake the kit. We're gonna go follow those bees."

"Tanaka-san, this food is delicious! Thank you so much for your hospitality." Kagome was trying to politely devour the meal that was set so beautifully on the tray in front of her. To her right, Inuyasha grunted in agreement, refusing to look away from the food until it was completely gone.

Seated across from the pair, Tanaka-san smiled in delight at the happy guests. "It is no problem, Kagome-sama. I am always happy to treat friends of Kaede-sama." He softly set his bowl down, a somber expression etching his features. "Though I do not ask payment for all of this, I humbly request your assistance on behalf of the village."

Inuyasha's empty bowl clacked loudly against the tray, starkly showing a disregard for manners. He had finished his meal in record time. "What do you mean, old man?"

Kagome quietly continued on with her meal, watching Tanaka-san expectantly. The elderly man sighed, and motioned for the maid. "Eiko-chan, I believe it is time for a round of sake. If you would be so kind." The maid quickly poured three small cups of sake, and Tanaka-san moved to make a toast. "To overcoming obstacles."

Inuyasha and Kagome shared a glance. _He has __**no**__ idea. _The pair from the future raised their glasses as well. "To overcoming obstacles," and young and old tossed the drink down. The sake was good, and burned their throats in a pleasant way. Eiko took the empty sake cups away, and Tanaka-san nodded as if to prepare himself.

"I mentioned earlier that I would like to ask a favor. You two have become slightly legendary with the Shikon no tama search, and defeating almost every single evil youkai that enters your path- the lady centipede in the forest, the hair demon Yura, the carrion crows, the thunder brothers Hiten and Manten- these are only a few of the stories we have heard. If not for these tales, I would not ask such a dangerous favor."

Inuyasha and Kagome stared in shock at Tanaka-san, and latched onto the only pair of names that sounded familiar. "The thunder brothers?"

Tanaka-san nodded. "Although their territory was miles from our village, the tale has still managed to reach our ears." The apparent demon slayers were silent, words escaping them. The old man took their silence as cause to continue. "As proper warriors, I humbly ask that you defend our village from an Oni that has been regularly attacking us. We've lost many good sons while fighting the beast, but have not yet managed to slay the monster. I am sure that you could easily dispatch such a low level youkai. Please samas, find it in your heart to help this humble village."

Kagome's mind was racing furiously, alternating between trying to absorb the information of the feats she and Inuyasha had supposedly accomplished, and making up an excuse. _Think of something quick before Inuyasha says something rude!_

The hanyou had a harsh frown etched into his face, and looked ready to protest. "Look old man, we really appreciate the help but-"

"But we've got a long journey ahead of us!" Kagome quickly interrupted. Both men turned to blink in surprise at the girl. She hurried to add onto the excuse. "We're so thankful for your help Tanaka-san, as Inuyasha just said, but we can't afford to spend more than one night in this village. We're on sort of a time limit, you see."

Tanaka-san nodded slowly, a bit of sadness creeping into his smile. "I understand. Our village doesn't register very high in the scheme of things, I suppose."

Kagome and Inuyasha both looked away, guilt filling them. They wanted to help the old man, especially after the first rate treatment, but the warrior stories were not about them. They were about a different pair with much more fighting experience. How could they knowingly throw themselves into a battle in a different time period with zero experience? Bandits were on a whole different level than full blown youkai monsters.

Tanaka-san smiled and nodded in acceptance. "Just as well. I could do no more than ask. Eiko-chan, perhaps another drink… Eiko-chan?"

The maid however, was no where to be found. As Tanaka-san started to explain how hard it was to find good help, warning bells started to echo throughout the village. Soon, shouts of the villagers could be plainly heard inside the room where the trio had just finished dinner.

"Oni!"

"The beast is back! Get the children to safety!"

"Men to arms! Defend the village!"

A surge of panic entered the old man's eyes. He stood quickly, ushering his guests to do the same. "Quickly samas, we must get you to safety!"

He slid open the shoji door and stepped onto the wooden wrap-around portico, pointing the way to safety. Kagome stepped out onto the porch as well, Inuyasha slowly taking his place beside her. Part of the village could be seen, houses burning in youkai-induced fire. There were screams of women and children, and men ran past, carrying whatever weapon they could find. Right in the middle of it all, on a direct path from the forest, was the biggest demon Kagome had ever seen. The Oni.

It stood as tall as three men, black as night with eyes blazing red like the fire it caused. Unlike another pair of red eyes she had seen, there were no traces of regret or humanity in these. Only unstoppable bloodlust. Sharp horns jut forward out of the thing's head, and long claws proved their deadly accuracy as they ripped straight through a defending villager. Kagome shuddered, scared beyond tears, but also enraged at the pure destruction the monster was causing. _We have to do something._

Inuyasha stepped forward, clapping a hand on Kagome's shoulder. She nodded, agreeing to his unspoken request. The hanyou's eyes were hard, gleaming a fierce golden in the moonlight. "Tanaka-san!"

The old man turned, his eyes wide in fear. "Inuyasha-sama?"

Inuyasha nodded. "We'll fight."

(There's another chapter minna-san! I'm working on the next chapter as I submit this, so check back soon! Let me know if you liked it, ne? -) 3


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